Mt. Lions hold off Raiders

The Raiders lost to Liberty Bell 12-6 last Friday at Liberty Bell.

The Mt. Lions’ homecoming victory keeps them in the hunt for a playoff spot, making their game against White Swan the decider for who takes the numbers two and three spots for playoffs.

At the same time, the loss at Liberty Bell crushed any chance of the Raiders going to state playoffs.

“Our defense played their best game of the year, by far,” Raider Head Coach Steve Files said. “We competed hard and made Liberty Bell work for every yard.”

The Raider defense, according to Coach Files, improved from last week with their aggressiveness, pursuit to the ball, and tackling. The Raiders need that improvement to carry over to this week’s game to be competive with White Swan.

Offensively, the Raiders had an up-and-down night.

“We suffered too many negative plays,” Files said. “Their defense was quick up front — toughest group to block we’ve seen so far.”

For the Raiders, Justus DeWinkler ran for 113 yards on 13 carries (8.6 yards per rush) and got a touchdown reception for 28 yards.

Austin Rosenbaum completed four of 11 passes for 42 yards and the lone Raider touchdown.

This Friday, is Senior Night for the Raiders as they face the White Swan Cougars starting at 7 p.m.

White Swan is looking to gain a playoff spot again and made their position better by beating Oroville 41-30 last Friday.

When asked what the Raiders needed to improve on to take on the Cougars, Files said, “Blocking across the board — OL, backs and receivers.”

Central Washington 2B Standings League Overall

Kittitas Coyotes 4-0 4-2

Liberty Bell Mt. Lions 3-1 3-4

White Swan Cougars 3-1 6-2

Oroville Hornets 3-2 4-4

LAKE ROOSEVELT 1-3 1-7

Manson Trojans 0-4 0-6

Bridgeport Mustangs 0-3 0-7