Friday, Sep. 26, 2008

Running updates: Mid-Columbia football live, Week 4

By Eric Degerman, sportstricities.com

12:28 p.m.--Correction on what was initially reported as the lone incomplete pass by Moses Lake QB Josh Loera. Prep editor Rene Ferran, who staffed the game, remembers that first-quarter attempt being a halfback pass.

12:20 p.m. --Spencer Hessler of Walla Walla slightly increased his lead over Wenatchee's Jacob Sealby for Columbia Basin Big Nine rushing title. These aren't official numbers, but Hessler now is at 64 carries for 567 yards and 9 TDs. Sealby's totals are 79 carries, 544 yards and 5 TDs. Hessler began the night with a lead of 15 yards. It's now at 23 yards.

12:09 p.m.-- Walla Walla junior QB Gary Winston was My No. 1 "Pick to Click." He rushed the ball 14 times for 163 yards, which included a late 43-yard TD. However, the Blue Devils didn't do much in the air vs. Hanford, and he was just 4-of-10 for 27 yards and an INT in the waning moments. The star of the game was Hanford QB Travis Chalk, who completed 15 of 21 passes for 162 yards and a pair of TDs. Chalk also ran the ball 22 times for 125 times and two more scores in Hanford's 30-20 upset of unbeaten Walla Walla.

12:03 p.m.--The No. 2 "Pick to Click" was Othello junior tailback Lee Gomez. He logged 20 carries for 178 yards and two TDs as the Huskies rebounded from a loss to Prosser by going on the road and handing Toppenish its first loss of the season. The final was 36-13. Gomez opened the scoring with a 24-yard run in the first quarter. He added a 55-yarder in the third quarter.

12:00 p.m.--My No. 3 "Pick to Click" came through. Connell junior QB Nate Martinez completed 8 of 15 passes for 155 yards and three TDs in the Eagles' 33-6 win at River View. Two of the TD tosses came in the second quarter, a 40-yarder to Ridge Taylor and a 47-yarder Colton Riner. He capped the scoring with an 18-yarder to Matt Hadley in the fourth quarter. Carlis Bailon-Schubert set up the pass by rushing 19 times for 165 yards and and the game's first TD.

11:51 p.m.--Prep editor Rene Ferran noticed that it was a tough night for the home team in the SCAC East and SCAC West. Visitors went 7-0, including Royal's crossover victory over Zillah.

11:35 p.m.--Richland's Jamison Rowe, one of the best interviews in the CBBN, scored three different ways for the Bombers in their 35-7 win in Yakima over Ike. He opened the scoring with a 67-yard punt return, he threw a 6-yard pass to Brett Jacobs in the second quarter and then a 2-yard run in the third quarter.

11:24 p.m.--According to the roster, Moses Lake spends a fair amount on equipment. The Chiefs suit up 83 players. Pasco, one of the largest high schools in the state, lists 44 players.

11:16 p.m.--Herald photo journalist Kai-Huei Yau is back from Art Fiker Stadium and has posted a gallery of the East Valley/Prosser game. Click here to see his 28 images. Prosser is my favorite venue for high school football.

11:08 p.m.-- Back to Prosser's cakewalk of East Valley. Kirby Moore had five catches for 126 yards and 3 TDs, the longest covering 55 yards. Matt Young was targeted three times, and he grabbed three of them. His average yards per catch? Would you believe 53.3 yards? The longest was 77 yards, which went for a TD. Herald staffer Ben Reynolds had a good observation. Wonder how you average 53 yards and only score one TD? He must have stepped out of bounds on the other two.

11:06 p.m.--The scoreboard is nearly complete, about 10 minutes before the local TV stations start with their sports segments.

10:58 p.m.-- Here's a score that's not on our board. The Dufur Rangers, a perennial power in Oregon, drop Touchet 36-16.

10:54 p.m.--Highlights of Moses Lake's victory over Pasco are on the site. Andy Perdue proudly reports that he came up with 17 highlights from a 14-3 game. That's one clip per point.

10:36 p.m.-- Columbia-Burbank edged Kiona-Benton 25-23.

10:33 p.m.-- Tri-Cities Prep made quick work of Lyle. The Jags were leading 58-12 when the game ended by mercy rule with 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

10:32 p.m.--And then there's this one. Prosser 68, East Valley 0. Jordan Durbin completes 10 of 14 passes for -- get this -- 315 yards.

10:22 p.m.--Here's a stunner. Eastmont 27, Kamiakin 6. Herald staffer Rocky Morrow made them repeat the final score several times.

10:17 p.m.--Back to Moses Lake's win. Josh Loera was virtually flawless. He completed 16 of 16 passes for 121 yards. As a runner, he had 20 carries for 102 yards and two TDs. Pasco's Carlin Andrew had 17 carries for 105 yards, while Austin Wilborn added 11 rushes for 58 yards. Andrew completed just 5 of 17 for 35 yards. He threw 1 INT.

10:14 p.m.--It's a final, finally. Southridge wins 24-21. It took 37 more minutes to play this game vs. the Moses Lake/Pasco game.

10:12 p.m.--Hold everything. Wenatchee senior WR Sam Chapin scores on a catch-and-run. That cuts Southridge's lead to 24-21 with 15 seconds left.

10:10 p.m.--Southridge maintains its 24-14 lead, however its defense got flagged for pass interference. Wenatchee has the ball at the Southridge 37.

9:58 p.m.--It's final. Hanford 30, Walla Walla 20. Travis Chalk will likely be the CBBN player of the week as Hanford improves to 1-1 in the Cascade Division, 2-2 overall. Walla Walla falls to 2-1, 3-1. This is all welcomed news for Kamiakin and Richland -- no word on those games yet.

9:56 p.m.-- Hanford intercepts Gary Winston. To quote KALE broadcaster "East Coast Bias," Hanford not only beat unbeaten Walla Walla, but also "kicked their can."

9:54 p.m.--There's less than 2 minutes to play, and Hanford is lining up to punt the ball. Hanford is comfortably ahead of Walla Walla 30-20.

9:50 p.m.--Hanford keeps generating first downs via the ground game and there's 3:10 left in the fourth quarter.

9:48 p.m.--Southridge gets some breathing room on Cameron Sanders' TD run. Southridge leads Wenatchee 24-14. There's still 7:35 left in the fourth quarter. Pasco's game ended 11 minutes ago and started at the same time.

9:44 p.m.--It's now Hanford 30, Walla Walla 20. Hanford QB Travis Chalk hits Kyle Wagar on a 22-yard TD pass in the corner of the end zone. There's about 5 minutes left to play. Walla Walla will need to pass.

9:42 p.m.--Here are some of Andy Perdue's observations from Moses Lake's 14-3 victory over Pasco... Pasco started out fast in the first, controlled the line of scrimmage. Flags killed drives and gave ML momentum in the 2nd quarter. ML ran the ball and threw short, controlled passes all second half, burning clock. The Pasco D showed up for several plays but not consistently. Pasco QB Carlin Andrew and his receivers never were in sync. He hit one long pass in the first quarter, but that was about it. I don't think it was Andrew's fault all the time -- or the receivers' fault, either. The big issue was penalties. ML didn't look so good as Pasco couldn't quite catch up with quick QB Josh Loera and couldn't move the ball in the second half.

9:38 p.m.--Southridge takes a 17-4 lead over Wenatchee when Devin Jones scores on a 30-yard run.

9:37 p.m.-- It's over. Moses Lake beats Pasco 14-3. Moses Lake's Randy Koon intercepts Pasco's Carlin Andrew on fourth down. Josh Loera might be the star of the game, scoring twice on keepers from the 1, and taking what the defense gave him with short passes.

9:35 p.m.--Walla Walla gets back in it on Gary Winston's 43-yard keeper. Hanford still leads, but it's 23-20 with about 8 minutes left in regulation.

9:29 p.m.--Southridge's Kyle Sani gets in the end zone, cutting Wenatchee's lead to 14-10 late in the third quarter.

9:28 p.m.-- Moses Lake, leading 14-3, makes a late hit out of bounds. Pasco should get the ball around midfield with 2:12 left in the game. However, Pasco's offense continues to get flagged. The Pasco coaching box is not happy.

9:25 p.m.--Hanford QB Travis Chalk scores on an 80-yard keeper to give the Falcons a 23-13 lead. There's 11:06 to play in the fourth quarter.

9:24 p.m.--Wenatchee senior safety Adam Henke goes pick 6 late in the third quarter. Wenatchee leads Southridge 14-3 in the third quarter.

9:23 p.m.--Travis Chalk throws a short TD pass just before the end of the 3rd quarter. Hanford retakes the lead over Walla Walla 16-13.

9:12 p.m.-- The folks at royalhighsports.com report that Connell has defeated River View 33-6. I'm waiting to see how Connell junior QB Nate Martinez, one of my picks to click, fared in Finley.

9:10 p.m.--The Pasco drive stalls at the 32, but the Bulldogs go for it on 4th. However, a procedure call on Pasco has Coach Graff hanging his head. Moses Lake takes a timeout. Pasco decides to punt, and the kick pins Moses Lake inside its own 10.

9:08 p.m.--The Moses Lake defense steps up with a tackle for loss and sack.

9:06 p.m. -- Pasco is threatening. It's closing in on the red zone on the strength of the running game. Carlin Andrew and Austin Wilborn are finding holes in Moses Lake's D. The Bulldogs seem unstoppable at the moment.

8:59 p.m.--Josh Loera scores on another QB sneak for Moses Lake. The Chiefs take a 14-3 lead with 3:25 to play in the 3rd. Pasco's offense is not clicking except for Carlin Andrew's running. The QB and his receivers are out of sync, so it will be difficult for them to come back based on how they've played so far.

8:58 p.m.--Walla Walla scores on a run to take a 13-9 lead over Hanford. PAT pending.

8:56 p.m.--Gary Winston, my No. 1 pick to click, has Walla Walla driving. He picks up 16 yards and has Walla Walla at 1st and goal at the Hanford 9.

8:53 p.m.--Walla Walla senior DB Matt Staudenmaier intercepts Hanford QB Travis Chalk early in the 3Q. WW takes over at its 39. It's still Hanford 9, WW 7.

8:49 p.m.--A SCAC East boys basketball coach supplied me this wild score. It's Prosser 55, East Valley 0 at HALFTIME!!!!

8:44 p.m.--Whew! KALE is back just before halftime. Guess my excitement over Hanford's potential upset of Walla Walla got the best of me.

8:42 p.m.--I hope KALE 960 did not lose its feed from Fran Rish. It seems as though they've been with ESPN Radio a bit longer than normal for a halftime break.

8:37 p.m.--Some analysis from Edgar Brown. Andy Perdue reports that Pasco's secondary isn't giving up much, forcing ML's Josh Loera to scramble. Almost all of his completions have been short timing throws. Loera completed 11 of 12 passes in the first half, but those completions covered just 67 yards.

8:32 p.m.--Wenatchee takes a 7-3 lead over Southridge just before halftime when Jacob Sealby, the CBBN's No. 2 rusher, somersaults into the end zone with 20 seconds left in the second quarter.

8:27 p.m.-- I should have made Blair Collins a "pick to click." He's scored 3 TDs for Royal, which leads at Zillah 28-0 in the third quarter. One by punt return, 2 via reception.

8:24 p.m.--Travis Chalk fakes the punt and keeps the ball. Makes the first down for Hanford. This should keep the ball out of WW's hands for the rest of the half.

8:23 p.m.--Hanford is punting with 1:44 left in the first half. Walla Walla has cut the lead to 9-7.

8:20 p.m.--Pasco is having a difficult time dealing with Moses Lake QB Josh Loera, one of the best basketball players in the Mid-Columbia. Loera has ML in the red zone right before the half, but Pasco blocks a 44-yard FG attempt to end the half. It stays ML 7, Pasco 3.

8:16 p.m.--My friends at royalhighsports.com report that Connell enjoys a 26-0 halftime lead at River View.

8:11 p.m.--Hanford's defense stiffens, turning back Walla Walla QB Gary Winston on 4th down. Hanford takes over inside it 10.

8:09 p.m.--Josh Loera pushes across the goalline on a QB sneak to give Moses Lake a 7-3 lead over Pasco at the 4:43 mark of the second quarter.

8:07 p.m.-- Southridge starts the second quarter with a field goal, good for a 3-0 lead over visiting Wenatchee. A fumble recovery by Southridge senior Cory Grady keyed the drive that sputtered at the end.

8:03 p.m. -- Make that Hanford 9, WW 0 after a field goal. Sounds as if Walla Walla hasn't gotten inside the Hanford 40 yet, and we're into the second quarter.

7:59 p.m.--It's Hanford 6, Walla Walla 0 at the end of the first quarter. Royal leads 21-0 at the half in Zillah.

7:58 p.m.-- Pasco takes a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal. The Bulldogs suffered their third red-zone penalty of the first half to damage the drive.

7:56 p.m. -- Pasco dominated the scoreless first quarter but came up empty. Moses Lake had one first down in the first quarter. Pasco is threatening as the second quarter begins

7:52 p.m.--Walla Walla stuffs Hanford at the 3 on fourth down. Definitely a missed opportunity. The Hanford radio team questioned the play calling.

7:47 p.m.--Oh my. Hanford blocks a Walla Walla punt. Thor Buchanan corrals the ball and Hanford sets up shop on the WW 15.

7:43 p.m.-- Andy Perdue reports from Pasco that Graff seems determined to run. He ran seven of nine plays on first drive. Carlin Andrew seems to be limping slightly. Two procedure calls on Pasco's first drive must be drive Graff nuts. Pasco drive gets to first and 5, but two penalties and a fumble later, and it's a missed 37-yard field goal.

7:41 p.m.-- The defending 1A state champs continue to flex the muscles. Royal bumps its lead at Zillah to 21-0. Will Christensen scored on an 8-yard TD reception with 6 minutes to play in the first half.

7:39 p.m.-- Travis Chalk scores on a keeper to give Hanford a 6-0 lead over unbeaten Walla Walla. The Falcons missed the PAT. This would be a major upset.

7:30 p.m.-- Royal appears as though it scored on the first time it touched the ball with Blair Collins going 71 yards with a punt return just 1:19 into the game. Collins pushed the lead to 14-0 over Zillah with a 22-yard TD reception.

7:27 p.m.-- Andy Perdue checked in from Edgar Brown with this preview...

Pasco is 3-0 and brimming with confidence after last year's dismal season.

Moses Lake would seem to be on an opposite track, 1-2 after last week's drubbing at the hands of Southridge.

Pasco has a multipronged offense, with potent running and passing games. It'll be interesting to see if Coach Graff switches out the quarterbacks again this game between senior Carlin Andrew with sophomore Luc Graff. Could be that was just something to do during the Davis game to give the sophomore a solid number of reps.

4:04 p.m. -- As a tribute to Chicago White Sox broadcaster Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson, I’m going to offer up three “picks to click” for tonight.

I wouldn’t go so far as to bellow, “You can put it on the board, YES!” but I’ve listed this in my order of “clickness.”

In looking back at it, I’ve gone with three juniors.

1) Gary Winston, Walla Walla QB
The junior is already a basketball standout, but he’s got Wa-Hi (3-0) rolling into Fran Rish Stadium in Richland for its meeting with Hanford. Winston is an early favorite for Columbia Basin Big Nine Offensive MVP and a dual threat. He is averaging 7.0 yards per carry with six rushing TDs. As a passer, he’s 27 of 44 for 302 yards, a TD and just one INT. And remember, Hanford will be without its starting middle linebacker.

2) Lee Gomez, Othello RB
Coach Roger Hoell, in his 15th year at Othello (1-1 CWAC, 2-1 overall), and his Huskies took one on the chin at home last week vs. Prosser. Tonight, Othello is at upstart Toppenish (3-0) in a game that Prosser might even be interested in. Gomez, a junior, and senior backfield mate Aaron Simmons each have 223 yards, and while Simmons has more carries (50-32), Gomez appears to be getting more touches. He’s also got scores in his past two games, including a 70-yard TD run vs. the Mustangs, to go along with his 7.0 yards per carry.

3) Nate Martinez, Connell QB
This should be quite a matchup of rebuilding/reloading Connell vs. River View in Finley. River View QB Nate Wilhelm has a nice TD/INT ratio of 6-to-1, but Martinez is completing more than 50 percent of his passes (44 for 85) for a SCAC East-best 585 yards. It’s a game that may define the rest of the season for each school, and while Martinez is in his first year as a starter, I have a hunch that Connell’s offensive coordinator, former NFL tight end Clint Didier, will have his triggerman poised.

10:53 a.m. -- I slept in a bit this morning because we'll be working late again tonight. Might even be doin' some Dew.

Our SportsTriCities.com cameras will be focused on artificial turf tonight, taking us to "The Pit" at Edgar Brown Stadium -- where Pasco (3-0) entertains Moses Lake (1-2) -- and "The Lamp" because Wenatchee (2-1) travels to Kennewick for a clash with Southridge (3-0).

I'll be providing game log updates for those games while monitoring broadcasts of Walla Walla at Hanford and Royal at Zillah. And we hope to get reports out of Lyle from our Tri-Cities Prep correspondent.

All the while, I'll be updating our Week 4 scoreboard throughout the evening.

And the reach of the scoring updates continues to grow because of our community. Last Friday, I received reliable text/e-mail updates via "Dan" in Moses Lake, and then there a big assist from "HoopNut" regarding Pasco's road upset of Wenatchee. If you wish, I'll give you credit in the blog for the citizen journalism.

My address is edegerman@tricityherald.com.

If you'd like to go the text-messaging route, email me first and I'll pass along you my cell number.

Dear booster clubs: You faithful folks go to all the games that we can't be at -- there are 28 games on our scoreboard tonight -- so we'd really appreciate your help in getting us updates of your game.

And this weekend is another example of why I can't really call this weekly segment "Football Friday" or something of that ilk because we'll be back at Lampson on Saturday for the matinee with Davis (woe-3) vs. Kennewick (1-2).