Long delay doesn't stop Ephrata football from win at Wapato
Lind-Ritzville 26, Davenport 10
Prep sports recaps
WAPATO - In a Central Washington Athletic Conference contest that started over two hours late, the Tigers were able to stay focused and down the Wolves thanks to three touchdowns in the second quarter.
The game's officiating crew never showed up for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff last Friday, Ephrata head coach Jay Mills said. A replacement crew was finally brought in and the game started at 9:50 p.m.
"I was real pleased with the way our kids responded to the situation," Mills said. "I think that says a lot about the mental preparation our kids put in each week."
The Tigers (4-1 overall, 3-1 CWAC) got the game's first score on a 1-yard Trystan Mann run, but after missing the point-after kick, the Wolves answered with an 80-yard touchdown pass to grab a 7-6 lead going to the second period.
That's where Ephrata dominated. Quarterback Kory Frank, who finished the night 9 of 11 for 214 yards, threw three of his touchdowns in the quarter. Frank began with an 18-yard hookup with CJ Curnutt, then threw a 31-yard strike to Derrick Webb and a 60-yarder to Ryan Burck. That gave Ephrata a 27-6 halftime edge.
Frank tossed his fourth score in the third quarter, finding Webb on a 7-yard play. Wapato scored on runs of 27 and 74 yards in the fourth quarter, but Ephrata finished things off as Eric Tinnell threw a 75-yard TD pass to Burck.
Kip Swem led the Tigers' rushing attack with 57 yards on eight carries and Tinnell had 37 yards on nine touches.
Ephrata returns home this Friday, hosting East Valley-Yakima at 7:30 p.m. The contest at Kiwanis Field carries with it some important playoff implications.
"The big thing we need to do against them is run the ball," Mills said. "That's been our big nemesis all year."
Lind-Ritzville 26, Davenport 10
RITZVILLE - The Broncos scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away from the visiting Gorillas in a Northeast 2B League contest on Friday night.
Lind-Ritzville led 14-3 after three quarters, then increased their lead on Matt Saetre's 2-yard touchdown run. Davenport responded with a 7-yard TD pass from Andrew Cooper to Jordan Allen, but Bronco defensive back Alex Pfeifer put the nail in the Gorillas' coffin, intercepting Cooper and returning it 35 yards for the evening's final score.
The Broncos forced six turnovers in the contest, something head coach Greg Whitmore credited for his team's success this fall. L-R improved to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in league.
"Davenport is big and physical," Whitmore said, "and they kind of run an unorthodox 3-3 stacked defense. The kids responded pretty well. The defense is winning the takeaway battle, giving our offense a short field."
L-R opened the scoring in the second quarter as Kerry Tyler found Trace Jones for a 17-yard TD. The only other score of the first half came when Davenport's P.J. Hill hit a 27-yard field goal.
The Broncos widened their lead in the third period as Isaiah Grant, who had a team-high 83 yards on 20 carries, rumbled in from 3 yards out.
Bronco quarterback Mike Osborn finished 5 of 10 passing for 96 yards and one interception. Saetre added 59 yards rushing on 11 carries and Pfeifer had a 38-yard catch to lead the Broncos' receiving corps. Defensively, Tyler King led the way with 16 tackles. Saetre had 12 and Casey Rios added 11.
The Broncos travel to Springdale for a league contest with the Chargers this Friday, a 7 p.m. start. The following week, they're gearing up for a potential first-place showdown with the Reardan Indians.
"We have to get better offensively," Whitmore said. "We've got to be able to get off blocks and run the ball better against Reardan."
Soccer
Moses Lake Christian 3-5, Trout Lake 0-0
MOSES LAKE - The Lions' boys team earned a pair of North Central Washington League victories over the Mustangs, winning 3-0 last Friday and 5-0 on Saturday.
Moses Lake Christian (3-4 overall, 2-2 league) spread the ball around effectively and completely shut down Trout Lake's offense on Friday. Jonathan Roberts opened the scoring in the 11th minute, with Jarod DeTrolio getting a goal in the 15th minute and Jesse Bassett adding one just prior to halftime. The Lions had 10 shots on goal to none for Trout Lake.
Saturday, the Lions also got off to a tremendous start, building a 4-0 lead at the break. Kameron Firouzi scored in the fourth minute, beating Trout Lake's goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Firouzi added another goal three minute later off an assist from Roman Gribov.
Bassett scored in the 17th minute, taking a throw-in from Roberts and heading the ball past the Mustangs' keeper. Bassett's second goal came unassisted at the 28-minute mark.
DeTrolio finished off the scoring, using an assist from Firouzi in the 47th minute. Moses Lake Christian had 11 shots on goal to Trout Lake's two.
Lions head coach Scott McCornack said his team's relatively slow start this season is the result of a much younger team. Moses Lake Christian finished 2006 with a 20-1 record, but that veteran group is largely gone. That, combined with a very tough schedule, has added up to four losses in seven games.
"We have a lot of talent, but we have a lot of inexperience," McCornack said. "The younger kids are really having to step up and they're still really timid.
"We knew we weren't going to go 20-1 like last year and we knew we didn't have to," he added. "The bottom line is you have to win the conference."
The Lions host Mount Vernon Christian this Friday in their final non-league game, a 4 p.m. start.
Kiona-Benton 2, Royal 0
BENTON CITY - The Lady Knights played better on the defensive end, head coach Jens Jensen said, but fell to the Bears in a South Central Athletic Conference game on Saturday.
Alexandra Smith put Ki-Be on the board in the 30th minute after Royal goalkeeper Danni Callahan stopped an initial shot but left a rebound. Ki-Be's Melissa Garcia added the insurance goal in the 51st minute, taking advantage of miscommunication between two Royal defenders. The Bears out-shot the Knights 13-3 and Callahan recorded 10 saves.
"Ki-Be graduated some of their big guns and so they are down from last year, but they are still a good team," Jensen said via e-mail. "They like to attack down the right side almost exclusively."
Royal is back in action on Thursday afternoon, hosting the Wahluke Warriors at 4 p.m. in a SCAC contest.
"We are also finally playing with a full deck as we have everyone eligible," Jensen noted, "and that has made for a little more freedom and confidence around the field."
Davis 4, Moses Lake 0
MOSES LAKE - Kayla Hagreen scored in the fourth minute, the only goal the Pirates would need in a shutout of the Chiefs on Saturday at Lions Field.
Maria Ojeda made it 2-0 in the Pirates' favor at the 16-minute mark, and Hagreen scored her second goal just two minutes later to increase the Davis halftime lead to 3-0. Lindsay Delp scored the Pirates' final goal, assisted by Olivia Holmes, at the 62-minute mark.
Bailey Ritchie made 12 saves for the Chiefs, who play at Pasco tonight at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs were 4-0 winners over the Chiefs in their Sept. 4 meeting at Lions Field.
Prosser 3, Ephrata 0
PROSSER - Ephrata goalkeeper Kathryn Bolding made seven saves, but she couldn't withstand a first-half barrage in the Mustangs' victory on Saturday in a Central Washington Athletic Conference contest.
Prosser's Alex Forsyth put her team on the board in the 16th minute, assisted by Tiana Baker. The Mustangs added another goal three minutes later as Kelly Wilson took a pass from Bailey Dezellem and beat Bolding. Prosser's Molly Field scored at the 30-minute mark off an assist by Ashley Boge.
The Tigers host the CWAC rival Grandview Greyhounds tonight at 6 p.m.
Toppenish 3, Quincy 0
QUINCY - Celia Beltran collected 12 saves for the Lady Jacks, but the Wildcats got a hat trick from Araceli Zuniga in a CWAC contest.
Zuniga put the Wildcats out front in the 15th minute off an assist from Amanda Gill. The same duo finished off the first-half scoring at the 30-minute mark. Zuniga wrapped up her three-goal afternoon at the 55-minute mark.
The Lady Jacks continue conference play today, traveling for a 4 p.m. contest against the East Valley-Yakima Red Devils.