Rams climb back from deficit, oust EV

The East Valley Knights were in control of their State 3A football regional playoff game with West Valley-Yakima, holding a 17-7 advantage going into the fourth quarter at EV on Saturday.

Just like that, the lead evaporated as the visiting Rams scored three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to end the Knights’ season with a 28-17 decision.

EV, which had won five consecutive games, ended the year 7-3.

WV scored the go-ahead touchdown after the Knights snapped the football over the head of punter Josh Polello. The Rams recovered the ball inside the EV 1-yard line and quarterback Phillip Jennings squeezed into the end zone behind his right guard for a 21-17 lead.

It was a disappointing turn for the Knights, who used a 12-play drive to set up a 22-yard field goal by Polello to earn the 10-point cushion.

The Rams marched 75 yards in five plays to cut the deficit to 17-14 early in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Phillip Jennings found Nick Plath wide open over the middle for a 47-yard touchdown.

EV took the kickoff and ground out a first down, but the Knights bogged down at their 40 and the bad snap on the ensuing punt gave the Rams the ball inside the 1.

The Knights couldn’t manage a first down after the WV kickoff and punted, but the Rams fumbled at the EV 39 on the second play of their possession and the Knights’ Jesse Brown recovered.

EV reached the Rams 38 with 3:22 left to play, but a rollout pass by Russell Woodworth fell incomplete.

Running back Richard Hassett rumbled 42 yards on the third play of WV’s next possession, giving the Rams a first down at the EV 1 with 1:52 remaining.

Jennings took a knee on the next play to set up second down at the 2. Sophomore running back Aaron Kennedy was popped at the line of scrimmage on the next play and was knocked unconscious at the 1. Play was interrupted while paramedics were called as a precaution.

Hassett scored untouched on the first play after Kennedy was carried from the field.

“I think that was more of a precaution than anything else,” WV coach Bob Altshuler said. “He was awake and moving his arms and legs when they carried him off.”

The victory was the third for WV (7-3) in five days.

The Rams finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Columbia Basin League and needed to beat Southridge and Kennewick Tuesday at Sunnyside to get into the playoffs.

“The last few years, we would have to go to school on Friday, then climb onto a school bus and drive up here to play this game,” Altshuler said. “With this being a Saturday game, we were able to get on charter buses, have a walk-through (Friday) night at Ritzville and get a good night’s rest before we played. That made a world of difference.”