Yelm denies Kennewick rally, advances to state semifinals for first time in school history
From The Tri-City Herald:
Bill Penn was misty-eyed when he asked for a photo on the field to commemorate the moment. Yelm had just defeated Kennewick in the 3A state tournament quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at home to advance to the state semifinal round for the first time in school history.
Penn isn’t on the Yelm coaching staff. He runs a family medicine practice in town and volunteers as the football team’s doctor, a job he’s fulfilled for the past 39 years. There have been a lot of lean years during that time, a lot of disappointment. This year’s Tornados team has given Yelm’s supporters — people like Penn, who have either kept tabs on the program or have been involved in some capacity — plenty of reasons to smile.
“It means a lot,” said Yelm coach Jason Ronquillo. “(Penn) came up to me, gave me a big hug, said he’s been waiting 39 years for this. It feels great to be a part of it.”
Yelm, undefeated and the tournament’s top-seeded team, got all it could handle from the visiting Kennewick Lions, who made the game interesting in the second half before Yelm pulled away for a 36-27 win.
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Yelm will face reigning 3A state champion Bellevue in the semifinals, which defeated Lincoln at Lincoln Bowl in a heartbreaking loss for the Abes.
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