Battle of unbeatens to decide CBBN crown
Connor Vanderweyst/Columbia Basin Herald Moses Lake defensive end Hunter Cruz reacts after a takeaway.
MOSES LAKE — 6-0.
A simple set of numbers that holds serious significance to Moses Lake football.
An unblemished record would mean an outright league championship and a No. 1 seed to the state tournament, which carries with it a guarantee of one home playoff game with the possibility of more.
Standing between Moses Lake and Columbia Basin Big Nine perfection is common end-of-season opponent West Valley. Since moving from the Class 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference to the Class 4A CBBN in 2014, West Valley has been Moses Lake’s final regular season opponent for four years in a row. The Chiefs are 2-1 against the Rams.
The last two seasons Moses Lake was headed to the postseason; West Valley was not.
That all changes Friday with both teams entering the game unbeaten in league play.
“I think our practices are pretty good,” head coach Todd Griffith said. “The kids came to practice ready to go and we know what’s on the line just as well as they do... It’s going to be that team that keeps that even keel and doesn’t play the first quarter any different than the fourth and it keeps that same focus and sharpness all the way through the whole game.”
It’s a match-up so perfect it seems fictionalized.
West Valley’s No. 1 offense against Moses Lake’s No. 1 defense.
The Chiefs’ defense, technically, has three shut outs to their credit. Davis and Wenatchee were blanked, while Hanford’s only points came off an interception returned for a touchdown.
Like most seasons, Moses Lake’s non-league schedule prepared the team to play against prolific offenses. Couer d’Alene and University of Washington commit Colson Yankoff roughed up Moses Lake. However, the previous week Moses Lake’s pass-rush stifled Hanford signal-caller Garrett Horner. Horner has gone on to throw for 21 touchdowns so far this season.
Moses Lake also played Chiawana in the season opener. The Riverhawks are No. 8 in the latest Associated Press Washington High School Football Poll.
“I like the preparation we’ve done already up in the first eight games to go in and play them (West Valley),” Griffith said. “Do I think it helps us? Absolutely.”
Next up, Brandon Battle.
Battle has comfortably led the CBBN in passing the last two seasons. Battle currently has thrown for 1,927 yards — over 900 more than second-place Drew Kornegay of Eisenhower — and 23 touchdowns — the only passer in the CBBN in the double digits.
The key to disrupting Battle, like most quarterbacks, is pressure. Last year, Moses Lake tried to blitz, which was unsuccessful. This year, Griffith believes his defensive line of Hunter Cruz, Beau Mauseth, Carson Evans and Caleb Fischer can create pressure without help.
“For us, we think we can get pressure with four. We don’t have to blitz,” Griffith said. “Last year we thought we have to blitz to get pressure on him so it’s a little different team. Good luck trying to block Hunter Cruz. What are you doing to do? Put a tight end on him? Then that takes one guy out of the pass route. That’s better for us.”
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
A win on Friday and No. 1 seed would likely have Moses Lake hosting either Gonzaga Prep or Chiawana in the first round of the state playoffs. A loss would possibly mean a trip to play No. 3 Richland, barring any upset.
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