Chiawana halts Lake Stevens' bid at history - a 4A state football championship three-peat

Riverhawks force three turnovers, including Braxton Feldmann's pick-6, in eliminating defending state champions, 48-21, in WIAA quarterfinal round

Mid-Columbia Conference champion Chiawana ended Lake Stevens two-year run as Class 4A champion with a 48-21 victory Saturday in Pasco. / Photo by Amy Cazier

PASCO, Wash. - There will be a new Class 4A football champion this season.

Chiawana, taking advantage of three turnovers, defeated visiting Lake Stevens, 48-21, in the Class 4A quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Edgar Brown Stadium.

The third-seeded Riverhawks will travel to No. 2 Sumner next Saturday for the WIAA semifinals.

For Tom Tri’s Lake Stevens team, it was the end of a great run. The Vikings had won the 4A title in 2022 and 2023, and in 2021 placed second in the state playoffs.

“I thought we had a good chance,” said Tri in a quiet locker room after the game. “We had a lot of seniors back, and some talented young guys. We had a lot of injuries this season, and in no way am I making excuses. But those certainly didn’t help us. Today, we just go out-physicalled.”

Indeed.

Chiawana coach Scott Bond has said this year’s edition is one of the most physical teams he has had.

Saturday’s game looked like two teams trading punches early in the game, the host Riverhawks (11-1) and the Vikings (8-4) each scoring two touchdowns for a 14-14 tie.

But in the waning seconds before halftime — and two short rushes at midfield netting almost nothing and some of his players pleading to throw the ball — Bond called a timeout with 1.3 seconds remaining with the ball at the Vikings 45.

“I knew what we were doing,” Bond said. “I only wanted one try there at the end. If we fumbled, we could get the tackle in plenty of time.”

What happened instead was Chiawana quarterback Julian Martinez launching a bomb down the right sideline to Cooper MacPherson — who sneaked by two members of the Lake Stevens secondary to catch the pass for a touchdown as time expired.

“My quarterback, I’ve played with him since we were in grade school together,” MacPherson said. “He told me he was going to throw it far. I said OK.”

It was the beginning of 4 minutes and 49 seconds of an explosive Riverhawks attack that put this game away.

The Vikings came out in the third quarter and marched 53 yards downfield in four plays — keyed by a 53-yard Kolton Matson to Blake Moser pass play. But MacPherson — the two-time defensive player of the Year in the Mid-Columbia Conference — then made another key play on the fifth play of the drive.

On a third-and 8 from the Chiawana 13, MacPherson bull-rushed the blockers and closed in on Matson, who fell backwards but lofted a pass to the left side near the end zone.

Waiting was Chiawana’s Braxton Feldmann, who gathered in the pass and raced through a number of would-be tacklers for a 96-yard touchdown return.

“That was all Cooper,” said Feldmann, whose eyes got really big with all of that real estate ahead of him. “He made that play. I was just running as fast as I could. It was awesome.”

Chiawana wasn’t done yet.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Vikings had a tough time handling the squib kick and the Riverhawks’ Andre Mehrer recover the loose ball at the Lake Stevens 34.

Six plays later Gage Williams — who comes in as quarterback for Chiawana during a running offense — rolled into the end zone from 5 yards out. It was Williams’ fourth touchdown of the game, and the Riverhawks coaching staff has gotten to calling him the closer.

“I feel we have the best defense in the state,” said Williams, who rushed 11 times for 60 yards, completed a pass for 49 more yards, and on defense he had two sacks of Matson. “I also think our offensive line is the best in the state.”

Altogether, Lake Stevens compiled a 42-9 record these past four years.

The connection to those four years is Matson, who has started all four years in high school.

“I’m gonna miss the culture of this team,” Matson said. "I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. Today we played a good football team. I wish them the best."