KENNEWICK, Wash. – After losing players who helped lead Kennewick football to a 9-3 record last season, head coach Randy Affholter wasn’t sure what the 2026 season would bring.
Now, halfway through the season, he has some answers.
The Lions sit 5-1 overall, with younger players and veterans filling the gaps left by last year’s team. Some entered the season with limited varsity experience, but Affholter has watched them grow more comfortable each week.
“We have some kids that are…green. They haven’t played a lot, but I think they’re good green,” Affholter said on The Sports Council. “They just got to get their experience in games and in varsity football games and grow from there.”
Senior defensive lineman Cooper Larson has made one of the biggest jumps.
Larson entered the season competing for the starting right tackle spot. Instead, he has emerged as one of Kennewick’s biggest defensive threats.
Through six games, Larson leads the Mid-Columbia Conference with 10 sacks.
Bradley Parker has also made an impact after taking over at quarterback. In Kennewick’s recent 69-33 win over Hermiston, the senior threw four touchdown passes and rushed for two more.
Sophomore wide receiver Jorge Martinez might be the clearest example of the growth Affholter has seen. Martinez moved up from the freshman team late last season and has continued to earn a bigger role in Kennewick’s offense.
His development as a player has also contributed to Kennewick’s defense. Martinez had two interceptions in the Lions’ 27-7 win over Gonzaga Prep and added another against Kamiakin.
“He came up with probably five games to go and did a great job. He’s got good size, he runs well, he’s got great ball skills. We probably should have played him last year, but he just needed to get that experience,” Affholter said.
Affholter also entered the season confident in the Lions’ offensive and defensive lines.
Seniors Zeke Szendre and Mayes Mayovsky — who was named an All-League first-team offensive lineman last year — returned. Guard Victor Aguilar also came back after recovering from his ACL injury, and Simeon Slutskiy and Bren Woods remain in the mix as well.
Cooper Larson and Nick Craven were also competing for the right tackle spot in preseason.
The competition along the line gave Affholter plenty of options to evaluate as the season approached. He used practice film to help determine which players would earn those spots.
“We try to rep a lot of kids and we film practices…now I can go back and watch film of practice and we can really evaluate kids,” Affholter said. “We won’t actually see who starts until Friday night.”
Kennewick faced another uncertainty at inside linebacker.
The Lions had to replace Jakob Gay and Cooper Neer, who combined for more than 100 tackles last season. That left a significant gap in the middle of the defense, and Affholter spent the preseason testing different combinations with several players.
Those position battles were part of a team still finding its footing. For Affholter, the key has been learning from each game without letting the previous one carry into the next.
“Football is a four to six second game. And in those four to six seconds, you got to play as fast as you can, as violent as you can, and good or bad you’ve got to go to the next play,” Affholter said. “Can you wipe away those good and can you wipe away the bad and can you get ready for the next one? And then hopefully you stack enough good that at the end of the game, you’re in the right direction.”
With six games in the books, Kennewick is starting to see what this year’s group can become. Now, with a winning record, the Lions will look to keep stacking the good when they host Walla Walla on Thursday, Oct. 15.