Blue Devils end Chiefs' postseason hopes

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Moses Lake scored the game’s first touchdown in Friday night’s Columbia Basin Big Nine crossover contest, but the Blue Devils of Walla Walla, Wash., scored 12 unanswered points to stop the Chiefs 12-7.

Moses Lake led for the majority of Friday night’s contest, but Walla Walla took the lead from the Chiefs with approximately 5 minutes remaining to eliminate Moses Lake from the state playoff hunt.

Despite the loss, Moses Lake head coach Todd Griffith said his team played well.

“I think we played good,” he said. “The kids came out ready to play. That was a good football team we played.”

Moses Lake took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when senior quarterback Dylan Signorelli connected with senior wide receiver Mitch Hill from 27 yards out with a little more than 8 minutes left in the quarter. The first-quarter score was the only time the Chiefs would find the end zone.

Moses Lake’s first drive of the contest stalled, but the Chiefs were able to take advantage of a Walla Walla miscue.

“When we scored, we had a big fumble (recovery) at the beginning,” he said. “They stopped our drive, we punted, and the ball bounced off of the kid’s chest and right to us. After that, their defense really tightened up.”

After the Chiefs took a 7-0 lead, Moses Lake’s second-ranked defense kept the conference’s second-ranked offense out of the end zone for the remainder of the first quarter. It wasn’t until there were 11 minutes left in the half that Walla Walla would make their way onto the scoreboard.

The Blue Devils found their way onto the board when Walla Walla running back Austin Schilling scored on a 43-yard touchdown run, but Moses Lake junior linebacker Brian Chamberlain blocked the extra-point attempt to keep Moses Lake on top 7-6.

Following Schilling’s touchdown run, the Chiefs defense kept Walla Walla out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.

Griffith said both teams gave it their all Friday night.

“Having it be a 7-6 ball game all the way to the end was tough,” he said. “It was a donnybrook.”

With a little more than five minutes left to play, Walla Walla faced a decisive fourth-and-11 situation.

With their shot at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 4A state playoffs on the line, Walla Walla quarterback Michael Weisner threw a strike over the middle to a wide receiver Colton Arias. Arias slid over the middle to haul in the pass and Walla Walla’s drive continued.

Griffith said Walla Walla was able to move the chains when the Chiefs weren’t able.

“Walla Walla converted a fourth-and-11 to keep their drive going. We had the same situation and didn’t convert,” he said. “It came down to who was going to make plays to put their team over the edge.”

The Blue Devils marched down to the Moses Lake 18 yard line before Gary Winston took a handoff from Weisner and ran in for a touchdown and a 12-6 Walla Walla lead — their first of the contest.

Moses Lake took over on their own 34 yard line with 5 minutes left to play following the kick off.

The Chiefs ran eight plays over the next 1:46, but a holding penalty and a sack of Signorelli stalled Moses Lake’s drive and the Chiefs turned the ball over on downs.

Walla Walla ran out the final 3:18 on the clock, eliminating the Chiefs from the postseason for the second consecutive season.

Although the Chiefs fell Friday night, Griffith is proud of the way his team has played this season.

“It has been a long time since we had a team that showed up to play every single game and these kids did that. We always came ready to play,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to see some of these seniors go.”

Signorelli was 11-for-21 for 87 yards and a touchdown Friday night and running back Brandon Lublin had 56 yards on 18 carries for the Chiefs. Senior wide receiver Jimmy Molina led all receivers with six catches for 50 yards.

While Moses Lake’s postseason aspirations ended Friday night, Moses Lake’s season continues this Friday when they play either Gonzaga Prep, University, or Ferris depending on the results of Tuesday night’s tie-breaker in Spokane, Wash.

With Tuesday night’s tie-breaker to decide Moses Lake’s next opponent, Griffith said he wants his team to end the season on a positive note.

“There is a big difference between 5-5 and 6-4,” he said. “We definitely want to be 6-4.”