KENNEWICK - Clustered together as a community, amidst the throes of a brutal, polar wind, in the confines of Lampson Stadium, a substantial group of John F. Kennedy supporters rooted and sang the Lancer fight song while the team relished the occasion. Players and coaches embraced each other in commemoration of the most monumental victory in the history of Kennedy football.

Bolstered by its doomsday defense, No. 3 JFK (13-0) battered down the state's stingiest defense to defeat Kamiakin, 28-13, on Saturday, Nov. 25, punching its first-ever ticket to the Class 3A championship game at the Tacoma Dome.

"We did what we came to do, and that's move on," Lancer linebacker Marc-Avery Airhart told the assembled reporters. "This is a great feeling. "

Avery-Airhart spearheaded Kennedy's attacking defensive effort with 11 tackles, three for losses, and pressured a key fumble that Nolan Washington returned for a 21-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

For the jubilant Lancers, the chance to face unbeaten Bellevue (13-0) for the state's top ranking has long been in the making.

"We've been knocking on that door four times now, so we said let's just kick that thing open." stated Kennedy head coach Bob Bourgette, whose team had reached the semifinals three of the past four years without forging ahead to the finals.

Before this season, Lancer squads had reached the semis in 1975, 1989, 1993, 2003 and 2005.

Led by blitzing linebackers Airhart and teammate Everette Thompson (six tackles), the Lancers disrupted the Braves' running game, limiting 1,000-yard runner Mitch Larson to 78 yards on 23 carries, and utilized two fourth quarter Kamiakin turnovers for scores.

"They were a lot like our defense," Larson attested. "You don't know where they're coming from. You just knew they were coming either this play or the next."

For most of the first half, the Braves' defense, which entered the match up yielding only 38 yards rushing per game and less than five points per game this season, contained the well-armed Kennedy Wing-T offensive arsenal.

The Lancers kept blasting away at Kamiakin until midway through the second quarter JFKtook charge. After a short punt into the 20 mph wind by the Braves, Kennedy marched from its own 46 to a touchdown in 11 plays, with quarterback Bobby Gentry hitting Washington on a 7-yard crossing pattern for the touchdown.

Kennedy's slim 7-0 halftime advantage was enlarged after the Lancers forced a Kamiakin punt in the fourth quarter. Airhart then made his great play, stripping Dane Knapp of the football on an end around. The ball popped up to Washington, who had clear sailing down the sideline to the end zone with 10:38 left to play.

"The coaches gave me the green light to just hit it whenever I wanted," Airhart said. "...They just told me to hit the gaps and get as much pressure as I could. We just got more physical with them."

Bourgette felt confident with a 14-0 lead.

"We felt if we could get a good enough defensive package we could do well there," he said.

Kamiakin safety Brandon Schmidt briefly sparked a comeback attempt. His 57-yard kickoff return ended with him lying at the Kennedy 40-yard line writhing in pain, the MCL in his right knee shredded and his ACL barely hanging together. The Braves finished their short field drive on a 5-yard pass from Carson Meyer to Jacob Potter, drawing to within 14-7. On the ensuing possession, University of Washington recruit Nate Williams ran by two blitzing linebackers and turned a simple third-and-1 dive play into a backbreaking 47-yard touchdown with 5:52 remaining.

On Kamiakin's next possession, Bobby Gentry picked off a pass and returned it to the Braves' 21. Three plays later, Williams swept around right end to put Kennedy ahead 28-7 with 4:21 to play. This was his 40th touchdown of the season, breaking Kennedy's single-season record of 39, set by Johnny Lopez in 2002.

Kamiakin knotched its final touchdown with 26 seconds left when Duane Knapp bounced through traffic on a 17-yard run

"We never felt comfortable, but we definitely felt confident," said Williams, who finished with 139 yards on 24 carries and also nine tackles at safety. "The line really opened up holes for us. We've been wanting (Bellevue) ever since August 16, and we finally get our wish."

Senior fullback Jesse Roe aided the JFK ground attack with 90 yards on 10 carries.

On the way to Kennewick, Kennedy overcame rugged obstacles.

Poor road conditions made Snoqualmie pass impassable, so the Lancer team bus detoured south through Vancouver and arrived in Kennewick too late to practice for the Saturday 10 a.m. kickoff.

After winning against a hostile home crowd and a formidable opponent, coach Bourgette just wanted to let the victory set in.

"Is that who we're playing," Bourgette joked. "We're going to enjoy this tonight. We're going to have fun and then we'll start panicking later (about Bellevue)."

Williams looked forward to the title game.

"We're on top of the world right now," he concluded. "To finally make it the state championship game and we get to play Bellevue, too. It could not have worked out any better for us."