Moses Lake wraps up division's third seed

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chiefs clinched the Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference’s Columbia Division third seed Friday night with a decisive 49-20 victory over the visiting Sunnyside Grizzlies.

Moses Lake senior quarterback Dylan Signorelli threw five touchdowns passes and ran for another Friday night to power the Chiefs to the victory.

Moses Lake head coach Todd Griffith said his Chiefs were impressive in the win.

“Our kids did a good job of staying focused and reading their keys. Offensively and defensively we were sharp,” Griffith said. “All in all, except the kick-off return, it was one of our better games. The kids were focused all week.”

The Chiefs took an early 7-0 lead when Signorelli took the snap from center Garrett Greninger and scampered 36 yards for the game’s first score and Moses Lake never looked back.

Signorelli is leading the conference in passing efficiency and total offense and was responsible for six Moses Lake touchdowns Friday night, Griffith said.

“He continues to do things the right way,” Griffith said. “He is doing a super job of being a field general like he is supposed to be. He tends not to make mistakes.”

After Moses Lake kept Sunnyside off of the scoreboard on the ensuing possession, Signorelli and the Chiefs offense went back to work.

Moses Lake doubled their seven-point advantage when Signorelli threw his first touchdown of the night to senior wide receiver Jordan Wilks for a six-yard score and Moses Lake took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

Wilks set a Moses Lake record with seven receiving touchdowns this season and Griffith said Wilks has played well.

“Jordan has really (stepped) up this season,” Griffith said. “We try to run our offense through Hill and (Randy) Koon and both Jordan and Jimmy (Molina) have (stepped up). When it is their turn to make a play, they do. That have been making the tough catches all year. It has been a long time since we have had that many weapons out on the edge. I would hate to have to try and defend us.”

Moses Lake continued to add to their lead on their next possession when junior running back and linebacker Brian Chamberlain scored on a five-yard touchdown run and Moses Lake led 21-0 after Signorelli booted his third straight extra-point attempt through the uprights.

While Moses Lake built a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, Sunnyside would not be shut out.

Signorelli and the Chiefs kicked off following Chamberlain’s score and Sunnyside’s Israel Manzo fielded the kick at his own eight yard line. Manzo took the kick, made a move on some Moses Lake pursuers and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown and Sunnyside pulled within 21-7 of Moses Lake.

Although Sunnyside’s score helped the Grizzlies pull within 21-7, the Chiefs would answer back.

The Chiefs would take possession of the football after the Sunnyside kick off and Moses Lake found the end zone for the fourth time in the first half. Signorelli threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Wilks — his second of the game — to cap the drive and Moses Lake led 27-7.

Although Moses Lake built a 27-7 lead midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs were not finished. Moses Lake scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter — both touchdown passes by Signorelli — and the Chiefs built an insurmountable 40-7 halftime lead.

Signorelli threw a 35-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Mitch Hill — Hill’s first of the game — for a 33-7 lead. Signorelli then connected with Molina from 32 yards out to cap the first-half scoring.

With the Chiefs taking a 40-7 lead into the half, Griffith said his offense played well.

“We had a game plan and we knew what we wanted to do and what we wanted to achieve,” he said. “We did what we set out to do. We ran a tight-end set, our spread offense and our no-back set. We wanted to put those three sets on the field. We want Walla Walla to prepare for all of them.”

Moses Lake continued to add to their overwhelming lead early in the third quarter when Signorelli threw his fifth and final touchdown pass of the night, a 32-yard strike to Hill, for a 46-7 lead. The Chiefs added a 34-yard field goal from senior Kyle Robillard for a 49-7 lead.

Sunnyside scored a pair of touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to close the gap to 49-20, but Moses Lake rolled past Sunnyside to claim the Columbia Division’s third seed.

Moses Lake will travel to Walla Walla Friday night to play the Blue Devils in a cross-divisional playoff game with an opportunity to advance to the Columbia Basin Big Nine-Greater Spokane League crossover, earning a possible berth into the 2009 Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 4A state football playoffs.

Friday night’s meeting with Walla Walla is a rematch of last season’s cross-divisional playoff game. Walla Walla traveled to Moses Lake and knocked the Chiefs out of postseason contention with a 34-13 victory and Griffith said he believes this year’s result will be favorable to his Chiefs.

“I think we need to play solid defense and we need to limit them (offensively) and not give up the big play,” he said. “Last year it didn’t seem like we could stop them. We can stop the run and I think we are better defensively than we were last year.”

Signorelli was 12-of-19 for 180 yards and five scores. Signorelli led the Chiefs in rushing with 52 yards on five carries. Senior Brandon Lublin finished with 33 yards on nine carries.

Hill caught four passes for 93 yards and two scores, Molina caught four passes for 88 yards and a score and Wilks hauled in three passes for 27 yards and two scores.