Moses Lake tops Hanford to start season
Chiefs 43, Falcons 21
Chiefs 43
Falcons 21
RICHLAND - After nearly nine months of anticipation and offseason workouts, the Moses Lake Chiefs kicked off the 2008 high school football season with a victory.
The Chiefs jumped on the Falcons early when Moses Lake running back Michael Thomas scored the first Chiefs touchdown of the season when he plunged into the end zone from 3-yards out. The score gave Moses Lake a 7-0 lead.
Following Thomas' score, Moses Lake's place-kicker Dylan Signorelli and the Chiefs special teams unit pinned the Falcons deep for Hanford's first possession.
With Hanford starting their first drive on their own three-yard line, the Chiefs defense stumbled as the Falcons scored on a 97-yard running play to tie the game at 7-7.
The Chiefs responded on their second drive when Moses Lake quarterback and 2007 Columbia Basin League Offensive Player of the Year Josh Loera completed a pass to senior wide receiver Billy Brice for an 8-yard touchdown. Signorelli's extra-point attempt sailed wide and gave the Chiefs a 13-7 lead.
The Moses Lake defense stopped Hanford and the Chiefs distanced themselves with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Loera to Brice.
Brice's second score of the game gave the Chiefs a 20-7 lead. Brice ended the night with 7 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Loera finished with 21 of 33 passing for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns. Loera also carried the ball 11 times for 91 yards.
After the Chiefs stalled in the Hanford red zone, the Falcons stormed back to take a 21-20 halftime lead.
Following an intense first half, Moses Lake head coach Greg Kittrell said his team united for the second half.
"The kids held together," he said. "They did the things they needed to do to pull the game out."
The Chiefs opened the second half scoring when Signorelli connected with a 25-yard field goal. The score gave Moses Lake a 23-21 lead.
The Moses Lake defense settled down in the second half to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.
"We were excited and started flying around in the first half," he said. "We came together in the second half to shut them out."
The Chiefs defense allowed only 39 yards in the second half.
Thomas gave the Chiefs a 30-21 lead when he scored from 1-yard out. Thomas finished the night with 97 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
"It was a great performance by him," Kittrell said of Thomas. "Michael is capable of great things."
With the help from a strong second-half performance, the Chiefs distanced themselves from the Falcons with 23 unanswered second-half points to defeat Hanford 43-21.