RICHLANDS (September 25, 2026) – No one told Richlands that it was supposed to be an easy Lebanon win. In one of high school football’s most iconic venues, the Pioneers pulled off a surprising close 26-19 triumph over Richlands on Friday at Ernie Hicks Stadium.
Winless Richlands (0-5, 0-2 SWD) had been shut out three straight games and had only scored one touchdown all season. A local publication had predicted a 42-0 Lebanon win.
“Richlands is not a bad football team,” said Lebanon coach Hunter Norris. “I know they’re getting a lot of flak for being 0-4, but they’ve faced a tough schedule against some good football teams. They’re a good football team, and they did a lot of good things on both sides of the ball.”
With a 26-19 lead in the fourth quarter, Lebanon was driving down the field, with an opportunity to put the game away. Inside the Richlands 10, quarterback Will Jessee ran an option and attempted to pitch the ball, but the Blue Tornado’s Treyton Kiser recovered it with eight minutes to play.
Richlands used quarterback Jamie Capshaw’s arm and a strong run by Ethan Cordle, along with a Lebanon penalty, to move deep into Pioneer territory.
“We had the fumble on the pitch, which was a bad decision,” said Norris. “We also had a late hit when they were driving down the field before the interception. Little penalties like that put us in bad situations. We’ve got momentum going, and then we shoot ourselves in the foot. We’ve got to do a better job of limiting those mistakes.”
After an eight-yard rush by Cordle, the Blues had a 2nd-and-2 at the Lebanon 22. Capshaw dropped back to pass, and Honaker transfer Blair Clark picked it off for the Pioneers.
“I really wish we could have that last interception back,” Richlands interim coach Noal “Bubba” Edwards said. “That’s on me. I called a play we hadn’t practiced. It was there, but we underthrew it. That’s my responsibility, and I wish I could have that call back.”
No one was happier with the interception than Will Jessee after the ill-advised pitch.
“That was a big interception,” said Will Jessee. “Blair’s a stud. He came over from Honaker and has been a great player for us. He’s someone we can really rely on to make big plays on both offense and defense.”
Richlands had the momentum and was driving.
“It gets a little stressful, but you’ve got to keep your head and trust that God’s got it,” Will Jessee stated. “You’ve also got to trust that we can go down and punch one in if they score.
“Richlands is a good football team. They’ve had a tough schedule coming in, and they wanted to win this one badly. They played a heck of a game, but we were able to pull through at the end.”
The Pioneers controlled the first half of play, but not on the scoreboard. Will Jessee completed 10 of 19 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. His scoring throws included a 24-yard pass to Braelin Hess, a 17-yard pass to Easton Taylor, and a 58-yard screen pass to Clark, who made an impressive run.
Capshaw threw touchdown passes of 75 yards to Kiser and 24 yards to Landon Absher for the Blue Tornado. Lebanon led by only 18-13 at the break.
“We had more than 300 yards of total offense at halftime,” remarked Norris. “Other than two plays, our defense did a really good job of holding them to under 100 yards in the first half. Those two big explosive plays gave them momentum and got them back in the game heading into halftime.”
Late in the third quarter after a short Richlands punt, Will Jessee connected with Taylor a second time for a 23-yard score. Capshaw answered with a 26-yard TD toss to Ethan Cordle.
“Richlands had a good game plan coming in,” commented Norris. “I think they attacked us in some spots on defense, particularly when we were playing man-to-man coverage. They took some 50-50 balls and executed on them. That was a good game plan by them, and it kept them in the ballgame.”
Will Jessee went 14-for-24 for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Layne Jessee rambled for 126 yards on the ground, with many coming on the final drive to run out the clock. Lebanon (3-2, 2-0 SWD) totaled 12 penalties for 115 yards.
“We’ve got to cut out the penalties and bad decision-making,” Norris said. “We put ourselves in some bad situations. We were lucky to convert and make a big play on that screen pass for a touchdown. We were backed up so far, it felt like we were back in Lebanon on that play. We did a great job executing and making a big play to turn the momentum around. I think that was a big play for us before halftime. If we can cut out the penalties, learn from our mistakes, and limit them, the sky’s the limit for these guys.”
Capshaw went 9-for-21 for 187 yards and three TDs for the Blues.
“I felt like the seniors really stepped up and held our younger kids accountable,” Edwards noted. “We’re starting six freshmen on defense, and we’ve got to hold them accountable. They’ve got to learn the standard we’re trying to establish here. We had only one player back from last year’s offense. We’ve got a lot of young kids, and it’s a lot to ask of them. But, man, they played hard tonight. I couldn’t be happier with them.”
Richlands is looking for the elusive first victory.
“Like I tried to preach all week, we’re going to win games in practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That’s when we’re going to win them,” declared Edwards. “We’ve got to take advantage of our weeks and our days at practice. We’re going to get better. I know we’re getting better. I know the community isn’t very happy with us, especially with me, and they shouldn’t be. The results have been unacceptable for the standard at Richlands. But we’re working, and we’re going to get there.”
Lebanon 26, Richlands 19
Lebanon 6 12 8 0—26
Richlands 0 13 6 0—19
First Quarter
LEB—Hess 24 pass from W. Jessee (kick blocked), 5:00.
Second Quarter
LEB—Taylor 17 pass from W. Jessee (run failed), 11:49.
RIC—Kiser 75 pass from Capshaw (Onate kick), 7:38.
LEB—Clark 58 pass from W. Jessee (pass failed), 5:02.
RIC—Absher 24 pass from Capshaw (kick failed), 1:59.
Third Quarter
LEB—Taylor 23 pass from W. Jessee (Hart pass from W. Jessee), 3:36.
RIC—Cordle 26 pass from Capshaw (pass failed), 1:30.
LEB RIC
First downs 18 10
Total Net Yards 433 244
Rushes-yards 35-136 17-57
Passing 297 187
Comp-Att-Int 14-24-0 9-21-1
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 1-0
Penalties-Yards 12-115 7-45
Punts 3-24.7 4-24
