The Chiawana Riverhawks have built their identity on toughness, defense, and family—and the 2025 season once again showcased all three. The Riverhawks claimed another Mid-Columbia Conference championship, led the MCC in both scoring offense (37.9 points per game) and scoring defense (5.9 points allowed per game), and landed Coach Scott Bond as MCC Coach of the Year.
“Football’s the ultimate team sport,” Coach Bond said. “It doesn’t matter who scores—what matters is that we have one more point than they do at the end.”
The numbers only tell part of the story. The rest is written in the bonds between teammates and brothers—Some figuratively and some literal.
The Cissne Connection — Beyond the Gridiron
It’s rare to find two players sharing the same birthday, the same competitive drive, and the same dominant high-school football program — but for Tate and Cooper Cissne, that’s just the norm. Their journey together goes well beyond Friday nights under the lights.
“Everything was a competition,” said Tate. “There were a lot of fights growing up, but it’s made us closer now that we’re in high school and a little more mature.”
Senior linebacker Tate Cissne earned MCC Defensive Player of the Year, anchoring a unit that allowed just 196 total yards per game and under 64 rushing yards per contest—both tops in the league. Tate finished the regular season with 52 total tackles (44 solo, 16 assisted) and two sacks, ranking among the top ten defenders in the MCC.
“I had my two older brothers and they always picked on me when I was young,” said Cooper, “but they made me better. I always looked up to them — they made me tougher and just a better human.”
His younger brother, Cooper Cissne posted 58.5 tackles (51 solo, 15 assisted), a team high, while also returning punts for an average of 16.8 yards per return and one touchdown.
Head Coach Scott Bond puts it plainly: “They’ll fight like brothers — but they’ll always have each other’s backs. They’re the heartbeat of the team.”
“We’ve been pitted against each other our whole life,” Tate said. “We share a birthday, share a lot of things, and now we get to share the field. You grow up with each other, and now you get to go play high-school football — not many kids can say that. To have blood out there, it’s pretty special.”
Morgan Dodson: The Reliable Leg and Steady Leader
While the Cissnes anchor the defense, Morgan Dodson gives Chiawana its steady heartbeat on special teams. Dodson was the league’s most decorated specialist—earning First-Team Kicker, Punter, and Defensive Line as well as Honorable mention Tight End honors.
He finished the regular season a perfect 42-for-42 on PATs and 6-for-8 on field goals (long 35 yards) for 60 points, ranking fourth
overall in MCC scoring.
“He’s been perfect,” said Bond, “so I know we’re going to knock on wood, but that’s also nice that you don’t really have to worry about it. When we get into scoring position, we talk about that to our quarterbacks and our guys — hey, we have poin
ts in the red zone, so we don’t need to force things. And if we force things, I get upset, because we have Morgan — he’s reliable. It’s nice to be able to rely on him to get those points on the board.”
The chemistry between Dodson and holder Tate Cissne has been built since childhood on the gridiron as well as on the diamond.
“Me and my boy Tate have been doing this since we were seven,” Dodson said. “If there’s a bad snap, I know he’ll get it down. We’ve been doing it forever—our rhythm just clicks.”
After his time at Chiawana, Dodson is heading to the University of Montana to continue his football career as a kicker and get an education. Dodson also averaged 43 yards per punt, flipped the field all year, and served as a defensive lineman—one of the most complete players in the MCC and jokes about the reality of playing only one position in college.
“I think it’s going to be a little boring and something I’m going to have to get used to because I’ve just been on the field the whole time,” said Dodson. “But I’m hoping maybe it’ll make my kicking a little better just focusing on that one thing. But I’m super excited.”
Riverhawk MCC All Conference Honors
-
Tate Cissne — Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team LB
-
Brady Knowlton — 1st Team OL & DL, MCC Lineman of the Year
-
Gage Williams — 1st Team LB & TE
-
Anthony Godino — 1st Team RB (898 rushing yards, 8 TDs)
-
Morgan Dodson — 1st Team K, P, DL & Honorable Mention TE
-
Cooper Cissne — 2nd Team DB & Special Teams
-
Cole Hultgren — 2nd Team OL & DL
-
Sawyer Somerville — Honorable Mention WR
-
Jairo Martinez — Honorable Mention DB
Chiawana has made it to the Round of 16 in three of the past four seasons, including this year. Last season, they made it to the semifinals, losing in triple overtime to the eventual state champions of the Sumner Spartans.
“Every year we’ve been right there,” Tate said. “We’ve been on the doorstep. This year was about proving our brotherhood can carry us all the way, so we take it one game at a time and fight for the next Monday.”
The Riverhawks face Glacier Peak Saturday at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco in the Round of 16. Kickoff set for 1:00.