The Riverheads Gladiators needed a win badly and got it tonight in a much easier fashion than anyone could have guessed as they stormed past Fort Defiance 35-0 in a game that wrapped up in two hours despite a lengthy halftime Homecoming show. The win evens the Big Red's season records at 2-2 in the district and 3-3 overall and will of course keep them in the mix for a favorable playoff spot in the post-season.
As for the Indians, in one of the weirdest stats you will ever hear, this was their fifth straight game that ended in a shutout. Unfortunately for them, they have only been on the winning side two of those five times, whereas this was the third time in their last four games that they have failed to score. In games played at the Fort, the Indians were blanked by Stuarts Draft 24-0 and by Wilson 21-0 just last Friday.
At least the Gladiators broke one of the Fort's streaks as their two shutout victories had each come on the road. In fact, tonight was Fort Defiance's first road loss of the season after winning at Clarke County early in the season, and then shutting out Waynesboro and Buffalo Gap in Shenandoah District play.
The Gladiators shared the wealth tonight as five different players (Kendal Edwards, Trevor Lima, Preston McCauley, Jackson Fitzgerald, and Skyler Shiflett) scored touchdowns and two place kickers, Bryan Lopez-Rojas and Jonah Williams, combined forces for a perfect 5-5 night in PATs. Lopez-Rojas kicked four of those with Williams scoring one and also handling the kickoff chores.
With such a well-balanced effort, it would be hard to name a player of the game but that honor might have to go to Edwards tonight. The junior quarterback had some crucial runs including a nice keeper around the right end on a 4th and 10 play that led to the Big Red's first score. He also completed a just-as-important pass to Chris Dotson on that same drive and later tossed a TD pass to Lima. And yes, that is RIVERHEADS we are talking about that actually PASSED the ball a fair amount tonight.
They were not perfect through the air as Edwards did throw a couple of picks but as you can see from the score, neither of them hurt. If anyone was hurt by the T-O bug tonight it would be the Indians as they coughed up the ball on their first two possessions and at least once or twice more after that. Rumor has it that they may have been missing some key personnel tonight.
To have tossed the shutout, the Gladiator defense obviously rose to the occasion and those stars were many. Fitzgerald, Shiflett, Dotson, and McCauley made the Indians' lives miserable all night and I believe I recall hearing that Malik Abdullah recovered a fumble. I am sure I am leaving out some key contributors but needless to say it was a total team effort, the kind of game the Gladiators needed to get their mojo back.
Next Friday the Big Red travels a whole 20 miles down the road to meet the Rockbridge County Wildcats for the first time ever. We old-timers can remember when we used to play the "old" Rockbridge, the one then located outside Fairfield, but this will be the first-ever meeting with the current RCHS.
Then two weeks from tonight, the unbeaten Alleghany Cougars will come to Greenville. They received a stiffer challenge than expected tonight from Buffalo Gap and will have to face a very tough Wilson team the same night Riverheads is at Rockbridge.
So will Wilson knock them off that perch? Will Riverheads be the one to do it? Or maybe both? Should be an interesting couple of weeks. But for right now, enjoy the Homecoming Dance but guys........don't step on her feet............they hate that!
As for the Indians, in one of the weirdest stats you will ever hear, this was their fifth straight game that ended in a shutout. Unfortunately for them, they have only been on the winning side two of those five times, whereas this was the third time in their last four games that they have failed to score. In games played at the Fort, the Indians were blanked by Stuarts Draft 24-0 and by Wilson 21-0 just last Friday.
At least the Gladiators broke one of the Fort's streaks as their two shutout victories had each come on the road. In fact, tonight was Fort Defiance's first road loss of the season after winning at Clarke County early in the season, and then shutting out Waynesboro and Buffalo Gap in Shenandoah District play.
The Gladiators shared the wealth tonight as five different players (Kendal Edwards, Trevor Lima, Preston McCauley, Jackson Fitzgerald, and Skyler Shiflett) scored touchdowns and two place kickers, Bryan Lopez-Rojas and Jonah Williams, combined forces for a perfect 5-5 night in PATs. Lopez-Rojas kicked four of those with Williams scoring one and also handling the kickoff chores.
With such a well-balanced effort, it would be hard to name a player of the game but that honor might have to go to Edwards tonight. The junior quarterback had some crucial runs including a nice keeper around the right end on a 4th and 10 play that led to the Big Red's first score. He also completed a just-as-important pass to Chris Dotson on that same drive and later tossed a TD pass to Lima. And yes, that is RIVERHEADS we are talking about that actually PASSED the ball a fair amount tonight.
They were not perfect through the air as Edwards did throw a couple of picks but as you can see from the score, neither of them hurt. If anyone was hurt by the T-O bug tonight it would be the Indians as they coughed up the ball on their first two possessions and at least once or twice more after that. Rumor has it that they may have been missing some key personnel tonight.
To have tossed the shutout, the Gladiator defense obviously rose to the occasion and those stars were many. Fitzgerald, Shiflett, Dotson, and McCauley made the Indians' lives miserable all night and I believe I recall hearing that Malik Abdullah recovered a fumble. I am sure I am leaving out some key contributors but needless to say it was a total team effort, the kind of game the Gladiators needed to get their mojo back.
Next Friday the Big Red travels a whole 20 miles down the road to meet the Rockbridge County Wildcats for the first time ever. We old-timers can remember when we used to play the "old" Rockbridge, the one then located outside Fairfield, but this will be the first-ever meeting with the current RCHS.
Then two weeks from tonight, the unbeaten Alleghany Cougars will come to Greenville. They received a stiffer challenge than expected tonight from Buffalo Gap and will have to face a very tough Wilson team the same night Riverheads is at Rockbridge.
So will Wilson knock them off that perch? Will Riverheads be the one to do it? Or maybe both? Should be an interesting couple of weeks. But for right now, enjoy the Homecoming Dance but guys........don't step on her feet............they hate that!