PASCO — Visiting Southridge continued its winning ways Thursday night in the Mid-Columbia Conference football battles, taking down Sageview 49-32.

Coupled with visiting Walla Walla shutting down Kennewick 42-21 at Lampson Stadium, the 3A teams looking to earn the MCC’s top berth for the postseason looks to be either Matt Johnson’s Suns, or Justin James’ Blue Devils.

In reality, though, Southridge (5-0 MCC) holds a two-game lead over the next closest competitor among the 3A teams in the conference: Kennewick and Walla Walla, both at 3-2 in MCC play.

The Suns will host Wa-Hi next Friday, then host Kennewick on Oct. 30.

In the other MCC game played Thursday night, visiting Richland scored a late touchdown, then successfully went for the 2-point conversion to beat Hermiston 22-21.

That gives the Bombers a 4-1 MCC record to lead the conference’s 4A teams. Chiawana, which is 3-1, is next and plays at Pasco on Friday night.

The 4A’s top seed battle may come down to the final regular season game, when Richland visits Chiawana on Oct. 30.

SOUTHRIDGE 49, SAGEVIEW 32: On Thursday, Johnson’s Suns found out their best defense was the Southridge Wing-T offense.

The Suns kept the ball out of the highly explosive Lobos’ hands in the first half by holding it for 17 minutes and 3 seconds of the game’s first 24 minutes.

“That’s huge,” said Johnson. “If we’re having a good game, that’s what we do. Part of the Wing-T is we want to grind it out. We’ve been rolling on offense.”

While guys like Tayton Jackman and Jacob Korotkov lead a talented stable of running backs, Johnson says it’s that offensive line the Suns have — Paz Barraza, Hugo Godinez, Noah Valencia, Ethan Herrera, Clayton Lembke and tight end Levi Pettijohn — that create the holes for those running backs.

“They don’t get any credit,” said Johnson. “We’ve rotated some guys in, but we’ve had no injuries. They take a pounding every game. They take a lot of pride in being physical up front.”

Southridge led 21-0 at halftime, scoring three times: a 7-yard Korotkov run; a 1-yard Toa Haertling ramble; and a 26-yard Austin Hazenberg to Stockton Parrish pass.

It proved to be the difference in the game.

“Honestly, we’ve liked started work on the Wing-T from my freshman year, and we’ve only gotten more smooth with it,” said Korotkov, a senior who rushed 14 times for 134 yards and three touchdowns. “The key has been we’ve been able to expand and be versatile. (The Lobos) wanted to start coming at us in the second half, and we’d just answer right back. But that ability to suck time out of the game and just keep us in that offense is so helpful.”

In the second half, Don Hogue’s offensive unit opened things up and started scoring.

But each time Sageview scored, Southridge answered back.

That included Eli Henderson scoring on a 95-yard kickoff return for the host Lobos — only to be answered with an 89-yard kickoff return by the Suns’ Haertling for a TD.

“For us, in the second half it was just a matter of refocusing,” said Hogue. “But we couldn’t stop them defensively. They were the better team, and we weren’t. When they wanted to melt clock, they melted clock. When they wanted to throw, they throw.”

Jackman led Southridge in rushing with 152 yards on 13 carries. Defensively, he had 3 tackles and forced a fumble.

Sageview’s Alex Flores completed 20 of 29 passes for 292 yards and four touchdown passes.

Jaysen Beasley caught 8 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns.

Angel Mendoza led the Lobos defense with 6 tackles.

WALLA WALLA 42, KENNEWICK 21: The visiting Blue Devils jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back for the win.

Wa-Hi led 28-7 at the half, and 35-7 after three quarters.

“I can’t think of a bigger win in this program than tonight’s,” said James, who praised his defensive secondary in clamping down on the Kennewick passing game. “Our guys have the right to jump on the ball.”

James said his team had three interceptions Thursday.

“We have 20 interceptions now as a team,” he said. “I would imagine that’s the most in the league. And I think our leader has four.”

RICHLAND 22, HERMISTON 21: Bombers coach Josh Jelinek said Micah Mayer scored on a short touchdown run with 2:30 to play, cutting the host Bulldogs’ lead to 21-20.

Richland then went for the 2-point conversion, and Finn Bunnage successfully ran it in for the final lead.

“This game was a little too close for my blood pressure,” said Jelinek. “That quarterback of theirs (Brayden Medelez) is fast and has a great nose for the football.”

FRIDAY’S GAMES: Chiawana visits Pasco at Edgar Brown Stadium, and Hanford tangles with Kamiakin at Lampson Stadium tonight to finish the Week 7 MCC schedule.

Both contests kick off at 7 p.m.