After 'soul-searching,' Richland wins two do-or-die football playoff games to reach WIAA tournament

Before this crazy three-games-in-eight-days stretch started for the Richland Bombers, the team had a serious sitdown

Coach Mike Neidhold called it "soul-searching."

For a team that had suffered a few gut-wrenching defeats, this was where rubber met the road.

And the Bombers found it - barely.

Buoyed by another big game from quarterback Joshua Woodard (295 passing yards, four touchdown passes), and saved by a timely interception, the Bombers escaped seventh-ranked and 4A CBBN champion Eastmont with a 51-44 district-round victory Saturday in East Wenatchee.

With the win, the Bombers - the No. 3 seed from the 4A Mid-Columbia Conference who had to beat Central Valley in a pigtail game Tuesday - advance to the WIAA tournament for a third year in a row.

"We wondered a little bit, 'Are we who we think we are?'" Neidhold said. "We did some soul-searching, then got a game plan together for Central Valley - and we did well tonight against a good team."

After Woodard's fourth touchdown pass - a 15-yarder to Brody Bocek - (and two-point conversion) with 4:28 to go gave the Bombers a 43-37 lead, the Wildcats immediately covered 62 yards in 88 seconds to retake the lead, 44-43, on Gunnar Peterson's 22-yard scoring scamper.

Richland had an emphatic answer - going 53 yards, capped by Jakob Brannon's 5-yard touchdown run for a 51-44 advantage with 1:20 to go.

This time, the Richland defense rose up, halting Eastmont's drive just past midfield on Bocek's interception.

"We were in prevent (defense), and he hangs out in middle of field," Neidhold said. "He saw the throw and stepped in front it."

At this point, Neidhold and the Bombers really don't care much if they travel next weekend, or what seed they are in the state tournament. They are just glad to be one of the 16 participants.

"The tournament," said Neidhold in a weary voice. "Man, it's the tournament."