Big Plays Key Win

KENNEWICK -- The touchdown was on his hands, and then it was on the ground, and Josh Richards knew he had just cost his team seven points.

But rather than pout or get down on himself, Southridge's senior play-maker went out and got his team three more scores.

Richards hauled in four balls for 217 yards, accounting for the bulk of Matt Mendenhall's 316 yards passing in the Suns' 31-10 win over the Hanford Falcons in a CBBN 3A contest at Lampson Stadium on Friday night.

Richards scored on a 75-yard bomb and 78-yard screen in the first half, which along with Tanner Gottschalk's 40-yard interception return for another score right before the half made all the difference.

"We try to run first, use the play-action. But this was one we knew we could throw the ball around," said Mendenhall, who completed 13 of 21 throws, finding Richards again for a 34-yard score to salt the game away early in the fourth quarter.

"We've been throwing shorter passes this season, but we wanted to get some big plays. That was one of our goals."

Achieved, and just in time for the Suns (4-1, 3-0) to give a little pause to their next opponent, unbeaten Kamiakin next week.

Read more: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/10/01/1662933/southridge-richards-hit-hanford.html#ixzz1Ze0xKRqP