Yelm denies Kennewick rally, advances to state semifinals for first time in school history

Bill Penn was misty-eyed when he asked for a photo on the field to commemorate the moment. Yelm had just defeated Kennewick in the 3A state tournament quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at home to advance to the state semifinal round for the first time in school history.

Penn isn’t on the Yelm coaching staff. He runs a family medicine practice in town and volunteers as the football team’s doctor, a job he’s fulfilled for the past 39 years. There have been a lot of lean years during that time, a lot of disappointment. This year’s Tornados team has given Yelm’s supporters — people like Penn, who have either kept tabs on the program or have been involved in some capacity — plenty of reasons to smile.

“It means a lot,” said Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo. “(Penn) came up to me, gave me a big hug, said he’s been waiting 39 years for this. It feels great to be a part of it.”

Yelm, undefeated and the tournament’s top-seeded team, got all it could handle from the visiting Kennewick Lions, who made the game interesting in the second half before Yelm pulled away for a 36-27 win.

Yelm led by 21 late in the third quarter and looked well on its way to another blowout win before Kennewick stormed back. Quarterback Andre Breedlove connected with David Wacenske for a score before Yelm mishandled a punt, setting up a short field for Kennewick. The Lions capitalized, Breedlove finding Kyler Witkowski on fourth down to trim the lead to seven points, 28-21.

On the sideline, four-star recruit Brayden Platt began pleading with Yelm’s coaching staff to feed him the ball on offense. They obliged, giving Platt the ball the entire drive, which he capped off with a touchdown run to put the game out of reach.

“I was screaming at my coach like ‘please, please, please (give me the ball)’” said Platt, who rushed for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 carries. “I knew my offensive line was going to do it for me, going to help me push through that. So we got it together.”

Sometimes, it’s as simple as handing the best player the ball and daring the opponent to stop them. Slowing down the 6-foot-2, 240-pound back — a total-package of speed, strength and pure nastiness — is an unenviable task for defenses.

“Big-boy football,” said Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo. “I’m just screaming ‘big boy football,’ trying to get their attitude right and just run the ball down their throats. … It’s great to have (Platt) on both sides of the ball, not just on offense.

“He’s just super special and he shows up at the right time. At times when you need great athletes to outshine everybody else, that’s when he shows up.”

BELLEVUE UP NEXT

Ronquillo said it’s been a tough week at Yelm, dealing with sickness and injuries going through the program. That may explain the sluggish start to the game. Yelm’s players seemed to loosen up after linebacker Ray Wright picked off Breedlove in the second quarter and returned it for a touchdown.

“It loosened me up a lot,” Platt said. “I looked to my left and I just see him catch it and go for six. It just made me so happy for him.”

Yelm quarterback Damian Aalona completed 18-of-23 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard touchdown pass to Aden Schaler. Between Platt’s running ability, Aalona’s passing ability and Swiss Army knife receiver Kyler Ronquillo, gameplanning against Yelm’s offense is a puzzle no team has been able to solve yet this year.

“Our different ways of attacking their defense, it’s a hassle for them,” Aalon said. “I think we just need to keep it going.”

Yelm will face reigning 3A state champion Bellevue in the semifinals, which defeated Lincoln at Lincoln Bowl in a heartbreaking loss for the Abes.

“We’ve just gotta stick together, our offensive line, all of us just have to play together,” Platt said.