Chiefs win again

WALLA WALLA - A strong second half of play propelled the Moses Lake Chiefs to their third win in four games with their 31-21 victory at Walla Walla on Friday night.

However, late season hopes of a potential Class 4A state playoff berth were quashed when Richland defeated Eisenhower, so now the Chiefs hopes to continue playing for pride and a .500 season.

"I know we are all feeling pretty good," Moses Lake head coach Todd Griffith said. "We had the goal of going 3-0 and of getting to the crossover. We were trying to keep alive our chance of getting to the playoffs with some help but that didn't happen, so now we will just aim to finish 3-0."

Trailing 14-6 at halftime, Justyn Simmons - who connected with Matt Franz on a four-yard score in the second quarter - ran the ball in twice in the third quarter on runs of 65 and one yard to give the Chiefs (3-5, 2-3) a 21-14 lead with 12 minutes remaining.

In the four quarter, after Walla Walla tied the game at 21-21, Moses Lake's Elliot Sage kicked a 34-yard field goal and Simmons clinched the win with a five-yard burst to put the Chiefs into fifth-place in the Big 9 and set up a potential home crossover game with Lewis and Clark next week.

Simmons finished the night rushing for 151 yards on 11 carries while throwing for 134 yards on 13-for-21 passing with one interception.

"He did a better job this week than last week in terms of reading things," Griffith said. "It seems teams are taking away our dive and leaving him open. The two big plays he had there was some good blocking on those plays to spring him. He is reading our option well and reading what the opposing defenders are giving him. He also threw the ball extremely well."

Griffith was happy with the team's offensive balance of 254 yards rushing along with the efficient passing numbers.

"If we can do that all the time then we are going to be pretty good and that's what we are looking for," Griffith said. "If we are able to run the ball it opens up everything else we do."

Kyler Moats ran for 37 yards on 10 carries, Stephen Cline added 51 yards on eight rushes and Franz caught six passes for 74 yards.

Next up, the Chiefs host Richland on Friday at Lions Field in hopes of going into the crossover game with a three-game win streak.

"Offensively Richland are a pressure style defense and for our offense they do leave some people open," Griffith said. "They aren't big and so we will have to get physical with them. We will want to control the ball on offense and keep our defense off the field."