Riverhawks fall to Stateline in final game of the season
Miners 13 Riverhawks 12
MOSES LAKE - Stateline scored first and last to earn a last second 13-12 victory over the Columbia Basin Riverhawks. The Miners second score came with 20 seconds left in the game to secure the win. With this loss, the Riverhawks ended their season at 2-6.
Family obligations and injuries depleted the number of skill position players and offensive linemen available for this game. Several players had to play both ways and play in unfamiliar positions. The quality of play suffered on offense but the effort never lacked.
The Riverhawks drove the ball after taking the opening kickoff but an interception in the end zone ended that drive. The Miners scored first on a six yard pass in the first quarter. A kicked PAT was good to give them a 7-0 lead.
The Riverhawks came back with the big play being a long pass and run to Zach Lewis at the end of the first quarter. Unfortunately Lewis suffered a knee injury that ended his day on the play.
As the second quarter began, a one yard run by Brandon Gomez made the score 7-6. The PAT was no good but Columbia Basin was back in the game.
Late in the second quarter the Riverhawks put together a drive. That drive ended when AJ Eldridge caught an 11 yard touchdown pass from Czak Conley. Another failed PAT pass gave the Riverhawks a 12-7 lead at the half.
That is where the game stayed for 29 minutes and 40 seconds and it became a defensive struggle. Missing offensive linemen and receivers limited both running and passing by the Riverhawks offense. So much so that the Riverhawks had the ball for just three plays in the third quarter.
The Riverhawk defense stepped up big to keep the game close and preserve the lead. A missed field goal attempt by the Miners opened the fourth quarter after a 10-minute possession.
Riverhawk running ate some clock and earned a couple of first downs to give the defense a rest. The defense helped it own cause with some big plays. AJ Eldridge has two interceptions in the second half to stop Miner drives.
Late in the fourth quarter Conley was picked off at midfield as the Hawks went for a first down that would have allowed them to run out the clock. A personal foul penalty a couple of plays later put the Miners on the Riverhawk 11 with no time outs a 20 seconds remaining. The pass rush forced the Miner quarterback to move, but he found a receiver on a slant pass for the game winning touchdown. The conversion attempt was no good.
The Riverhawks put Eldridge in to run the option on its last possession hoping to get close enough to throw a jump ball into the end zone. But, AJ was tackled in bounds and the clock expired before the ball could be downed.
This last minute 13-12 loss was a very bitter ending to the Riverhawks season. They will be back next spring representing the Columbia Basin in the Evergreen Football League.