RICHLAND -- Sports fans love statistics, but numbers alone usually do not tell the whole story of a football game.

Then there are those occasions when they do.

Hanford played what may have been its best half of the season, capitalizing on a blocked punt and a pass interception to take a 16-7 halftime lead over a heavily-favored Kennewick team at Fran Rish Stadium.

Then, the Falcons succumbed to those undeniable statistics.

Kennewick held the Falcons to just eight yards in the third quarter and just 38 yards for the entire second half on the way to 28-16 win. The victory allows Kennewick to stay just a game back of Kamiakin in the Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference 3A standings.

As they have done at least a couple of times this season, Hanford outplayed a favored opponent in the first half.

Kennewick had run 19 plays in the first quarter -- compared to just three for Hanford -- when the Falcons forced the Lions to punt from midfield. The punt was blocked, and Hanford recovered the ball on the Kennewick 45. Falcons quarterback Austin Forsyth connected Jake Oram on a 45-yard touchdown pass on the first play from that spot. The extra point attempt was wide.

Grant Woods set up Kennewick's first score by returning the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Hanford 49. Woods gave his team a 7-6 lead from 13 yards out nine plays later, with 11:51 left in the second quarter.

The Falcons answered with a 14-play drive their own, finished off by Will Bishop's 21-yard field goal with 5:26 remain in the first half.

Hanford extended its lead when Kennewick quarterback Bryce Leavitt was picked off by Isaac Benard. The interception gave the Falcon's the ball on their own 35, and on the sixth play from that spot, Tyler Sanchez made a leaping catch of a Forsyth pass along the right sideline. Sanchez broke away from two would be tacklers and then dragged two more to set the Falcons up at the Kennewick three.