By Robert Wilson
Photos by Jared Thomas

The Richland High boys won their second MHSAA Class 4A state championship in four years Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 victory over Bay High at Brandon High.

Jose Guiterriz scored off a corner kick four minutes into the game and Charles Williams scored on an assist from Jacob Young with 11 minutes to play for Richland’s two goals.

Richland finished with a 16-8 record. Bay finished 17-8-1.

“This season was bittersweet,” said Richland coach John Adams, who just finished his fifth season. “We are losing 10 seniors that I’ve got to coach since they were in the eighth grade and for us to go out with a win like that is everything. Most of them were a part of the first championship (in 2019).”

The 10 seniors are Guiterriz, Young, Ajari Fairley, Cameron Allison, Logan Bynum, Benji Hernandez, Chino Gerado Hernandez, Alex Mariano, Carson Rimes and Nathan Smith.

Guiterriz was named the game’s MVP.

“Our defense played really good today,” Adams said. “They really stepped it up in the second half and we really leaned on them.”

Mariano is the team’s top defender and Rimes is the goalkeeper.