RICHLAND, Wash. – On the final day of the spring regular season, Chiawana needed one last win to seal a share of the Mid-Columbia Conference football title with rival Pasco.
The River Hawks won 2-1 against Hanford on Monday, but the Falcons were unable to make a comeback.
Hanford led for much of the game after scoring an early goal in the first half, and as the seconds ticked down, it seemed like the Bulldogs would stand alone.
With less than seven minutes remaining in the game, Beto Cervantes found an angle outside the box, evaded a defender and kicked a pass into the middle. At the other end of the serve, Alfredo Jimenez connected with his head and sent a header into the back of the goal.
The score was now one point, and despite some fireworks by both teams late in the game, Clayton Calderon scored a goal in stoppage time to seal the victory.
Although Pasco and Chiawana split their season series during the regular season and finished with the same record, the Bulldogs will enter the regional tournament in the Greater Spokane League as MCC's top team.
The River Hawks will play Gonzaga Prep in the first round of the District 8 Tournament on Thursday at 5 p.m.
