WENATCHEE — Sometimes a little wake-up call is all it takes.

After not playing up to snuff in its two final regular season games, the sixth-ranked Wenatchee football team regrouped, refocused and put it all together in a 40-7 rout of Richland in the Columbia Basin Big Nine divisional crossover game at the Apple Bowl on Friday night.

The win puts the Panthers a victory away from clinching its first state tournament berth since 1998.

Wenatchee’s opponent in this Friday’s regional crossover is still unknown.

A three-way tie for the third seed out of the Greater Spokane League will be broken in a tiebreaker on Tuesday, with the last team standing among Gonzaga Prep, Ferris and University coming to the Apple Bowl next Friday night with a state berth on the line.

“We don’t want to look past next week, but right now this is great,” said Wenatchee running back Jacob Sealby, who ran 24 times for 181 yards and a touchdown.

That total gives Sealby 1,563 yards on the season, and early in the first half he broke Tyce Thomas’ 2007 mark of 1,453.

Blair Dorn also topped the century mark against Richland. He carried 18 times for 120 yards and a touchdown and also caught one of Cam Hoey’s three touchdown passes.

Hoey, who has had a tough season throwing the ball for Wenatchee, had what Panther coach Scott Devereaux called his best game of the season against the Bombers.

Richland’s man-to-man defense presented opportunities through the air for Wenatchee, and being able to throw the ball loosened the Bombers through the middle of the field.

“He completed a couple of short passes that turned into big gains early on, and I think that gave him the confidence he needed,” Devereaux said.

Hoey was 6-of-14 for 80 yards. Those stats don’t jump off the page, but three of those six completions went for touchdowns. Hoey’s teammates could see the difference.

“I think this will be a breakout game for him,” said Wenatchee center Mike Marboe. “Everyone knows he can throw the ball, and we see him throw it in practice every day. We’ve all believed in him all along, and to see him play at the top of his game was awesome.”

Richland had success running the football against Wenatchee, who will be without inside linebacker Ryan Phelps for the rest of the season due to a back injury.

Jake McKinney carried 18 times for 105 yards and Richland’s lone touchdown, but a recurrence of fumble-itis plagued the Bomber back.

After fumbling twice in the fourth quarter against Walla Walla last week, McKinney put it on the ground twice in the first quarter against Wenatchee.

Wenatchee scored 21 points on four Richland turnovers.

“They put a lot of pressure on us,” said Richland coach Mike Neidhold. “Those turnovers gave Wenatchee a huge momentum swing.”

Wenatchee scored its first points of the game on a safety, as Sealby tackled McKinney in the end zone. The Bombers started the possession on its own one after a coffin-corner punt by Chris Woodard, who set a Wenatchee record last week with an 86-yard boot.

Wenatchee took the ensuing free kick straight down the field, capping a 12-play drive with a five-yard plunge by Sealby.

Marboe stripped McKinney on the Bombers’ first play, and Lucas Sealby recovered. Two plays later, Hoey found Dorn on a 15-yard counter bootleg, and the rout was on.

“We were having fun tonight,” Marboe said. “The past two weeks, the games weren’t fun, and it was cool to come out and play the way we know we can play.”

“The kids changed it,” Devereaux said. “They got it turned around and got themselves refocused.”

Petersen said the specter of ending the season prematurely lit a fire under the Panthers’

30 seniors.

“We took a lot of time and thought about it, and we realized that this was it,” said the senior cornerback, whose fourth interception of the season led to a Panther touchdown. “We knew it could be the last chance for a lot of guys to play, and we really wanted to seize the opportunity.”

Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157

adamowsky@wenworld.com