HS Football: 1B Semi-Finals: Liberty Christian and W-C-K both come from behind to earn a trip to Husky Stadium

11/30/2024

The WIAA State Football Semifinals were all contested on Saturday and in this post we cover the 1B games. Re-caps, our MVP’s, postgame shows and highlights are included as Eli Sports covered all 12 of the Semifinal games.

WIAA 1B Bracket

#2 Wilbur-Creston-Keller 52, #3 Naselle 28

(Moses Lake, WA) 2nd seeded Wilbur-Creston-Keller (W-C-K) were anxious to get back to the State Championship game after making the run to the final game last year only to get beat by Liberty Bell and had to settle for 2nd. The Wildcats would have to pull it together at halftime as Naselle jumped out to a 21-8 lead and looked serious about turning the Wildcats away.

After the halftime break the Wildcats flipped the script and outscored the Comets 44-7 in the final 24 minutes to win going away and are headed back to Husky Stadium. The Thorbeckes MVP went to W-C-K quarterback Kallen Maioho.

For more on this game including the final stats check out the postgame show below.

Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)

ESN Postgame Show

Video Highlights

Naselle’s Jack Strange sprints in from the 19

W-C-K takes the lead on the 1st play of the 4th quarter

W-C-K ices the win

#1 Liberty Christian (Richland) 36, #4 Almira-Coulee-Hartline 20

(Richland, WA) The Liberty Christian Patriots know how to win the big trophy as they did it in 2012 in their very first appearance in football state post season. They finished 2nd 2 years later in 2014 but now a decade later the Pats are making their way back to the big game. It wasn’t easy and they trailed 8-0 and then 20-14 at halftime to a spunky Almira-Coulee-Hartline squad.

But in the 2nd half the Patriots got things rolling behind the rushing of Charlie Branning who ran the ball 20 times for 199 yards and a TD. Branning was named the Thorbeckes MVP. His teammates Perry Pottle caught 10 passes for 79 yards and Joey Isley had 8 catches for 49.

A-C-H was led by Carter Pitts who ran for 201 yards and Caden Correia added 169. But the Warriors were blanked in the 2nd half and couldn’t stop the Patriots from making the comeback run.

Liberty Christian will face off with Wilbur-Creston-Keller in the opening Championship game on Friday at Husky Stadium at 1pm.

Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)

Postgame Show