Hanford scores 4A playoff spot after Hester scores 3 times to knock off Lewis & Clark
Hanford’s Kevin Hester scored two late touchdowns to lead the visiting Falcons over Lewis & Clark 29-15 in a Class 4A regional play-in game at Union Stadium in Spokane on Tuesday night.
With the win, the Falcons will play at Sunnyside at 6 p.m. Saturday in a 4A regional playoff game, with the winner advancing to the state playoffs and the loser ending its season.
Hester rushed 23 times for 115 yards and scored three touchdowns, as Hanford beat LC.
Caden Wilson added 93 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Falcons QB Eli Perkes was 12 for 16 for 142 yards passing. He also rushed 6 times for 39 yards and a score.
Preston Bryant led the Hanford receiving corps with 4 catches for 67 yards.
River View-Dayton
River View completed its unbeaten 2B Eastern Washington Athletic Conference East conference schedule last Friday by trouncing Dayton-Waitsburg 35-0.
The Panthers, now 8-1 overall, will play host to Cle Elum-Roslyn at 7 p.m. this Friday in a 2B EWAC regional crossover playoff. The winner advances to the state 2B playoffs, while the loser is done for the season.
Columbia-Burbank places second in the EWAC East and will play at Kittitas at 7 p.m., Friday, in another regional crossover playoff.
The Coyotes finished regular-season play last Friday by winning a wild 89-50 contest over Tri-Cities Prep.
Burbank quarterback Michael Lenke accounted for 434 total yards of offense by throwing for 266 yards and four TD passes, and rushing for 168 yards and two more TDs.
Tristan Frimodt caught five of Lenke’s passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns — including ones of 65, 49 and 75 yards.
And Elijah Kinsey rushed for 150 yards on 19 carries, scoring four touchdowns himself.
Meanwhile, TC Prep qualifies for the final East crossover playoff spot. The Jaguars will visit Goldendale at 7 p.m. Friday for a chance to make the 2B state playoffs.
2B EWAC EAST FINAL STANDINGS
River View 5-0 EWAC, 8-1 overall
Columbia-Burbank 4-1, 7-2
Tri-Cities Prep 3-2, 5-4
Dayton-Waitsburg 2-3, 6-3
Warden 1-4, 3-6
Mabton 0-5, 0-8
Friday, Oct. 28
Columbia-Burbank 89, Tri-Cities Prep 50
River View 35, Dayton-Waitsburg 0
Saturday, Oct. 29
Warden 35, Mabton 0
Thursday, Nov. 3
Non-league: Warden at White Swan, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4
Regional playoff: Cle Elum-Roslyn at River View, 7 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)
Regional playoff: Columbia-Burbank at Kittitas, 7 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)
Regional playoff: Tri-Cities Prep at Goldendale, 7 p.m. (winner to state, loser out)
Non-league: Mabton at Highland, 6 p.m.
No game: Dayton-Waitsburg
Volleyball
The Mid-Columbia Conference won three out of the four first-round Class 4A District 8 matchups on Tuesday night.
Chiawana swept Central Valley 3-0; Kamiakin did the same to Pasco 3-0; and Richland won on the road, 3-1 over Lewis & Clark.
Hanford lost at Gonzaga Prep 3-1.
What it all means for Saturday is that Richland will visit Kamiakin at 1 p.m. in one semifinal, with the winner qualifying for the state 4A tournament. Meanwhile, Chiawana will visit Gonzaga Prep at 1 p.m. Saturday in the other semifinal and a shot at a state berth.
Loser-out contests Saturday, both at 1 p.m.: Hanford at Central Valley; and Pasco at Lewis & Clark.
There are a total of three state berths available in this tournament.
▪ In the 3A District 8 tournament, all three MCC teams lost on opening night Tuesday and are eliminated.
Cheney beat Walla Walla 3-1; Mead swept Hermiston 3-0; and Ridgeline stopped Kennewick 3-1.
CBC volleyball
The Columbia Basin College volleyball team is one game behind North Idaho in the NWAC East Region standings with just two games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
The Hawks lost 3-2 at Yakima Valley last Friday. But between these three schools — North Idaho, CBC and YVC — the East features some of the best volleyball squads in the entire NWAC.
All three have qualified for post-season play.
North Idaho has a 13-1 East record (22-4 overall), while CBC (12-2, 24-2) and YVC (12-2, 22-8) are right behind.
CBC plays host to Blue Mountain at 6 p.m. Wednesday, then travels to Wenatchee Valley at 6 p.m. Friday.
Girls soccer
Kamiakin is set to play Lewis & Clark at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Gonzaga Prep for the Class 4A District 8 championship.
Both teams have already qualified for the 4A state tournament, which begins next week.
The Braves did so by knocking off top-seeded Gonzaga Prep 2-1 last Saturday in the winners’ bracket semifinals. The game went to an incredibly long and tense shootout, with Kamiakin outgunning the Prepsters 7-6 for the victory.
Richland, the MCC’s top seed going into the tournament, fell to Lewis & Clark 1-0 in the other semifinal Saturday, putting the Bombers into the loser’s bracket.
On Saturday, Richland will travel to G-Prep to determine which team gets the third state 4A berth. That game will start at 12 p.m.
▪ Southridge is still alive in the 3A District 8 tournament.
After falling 3-0 to Ridgeline last Saturday in the tournament semifinals, the Suns bounced back on Tuesday to beat Mt. Spokane 4-0.
That means Southridge will play Mead at Spokane’s Union Stadium at 5 p.m. Saturday for a chance at the last 3A state tournament berth available.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
