South Takes Big River Rivalry XI, 21-16!
With all due respect to the Masters, the 804 has a ‘tradition unlike any other’ themselves, it is called the Big River Rivalry. An all-star game so highly regarded that college coaches attend not just the game itself but the practices in the week prior. A game that our own Will Garlick has high praise for…
And knock on wood, the weather is always great. Sure, it might be chilly but knock on wood, rain has not been a factor. This annual event comes one week after the state finals featuring seniors nominated by their coaches.
A great game that never disappoints is brought to you by the Touchdown Club of Richmond and the game itself, the brainchild of Bob Siff who was honored on this day with the coin toss. The best part of this annual tradition? This season the proceeds above the cost of expense of the game goes to FeedMore.
First Half Action
The story of the first half for me was turnovers in this one.
There was the North losing the ball on the opening kick-off. The North would counter that blunder with the Springers Devyn Simmons intercepted Landen Abernathy of Manchester. The two did not meet this season but they know one another from four meetings in the previous three seasons.
The South had their share of INT’s as well. Antonio Turner of Manchester had a killer INT along the North sideline.
Erin Rice of Midlothian had a dagger INT at the end of the first half with an INT in the end zone!
There were 9 possessions in the first half alone with 4 of those ending in turnovers. It could have, should have been more. There was the almost Erin Rice INT and then there was the Avery Curtis of Hermitage fumble that the North was able to recover. Had it gone the other way, the game would have started with three turnovers.
When holding onto the ball was not the problem, their was a variety of scoring plays. The North was the first on the board with a 45-yard field goal by way of Kyle Bitsko of Douglas Freeman.
The fact that a Freeman player was the first to score was a bit ironic. A moment of silence was held before the game for a longtime official, TD Club of Richmond member and Freeman grad Kevin Dolliver who passed suddenly in November.
Unfortunately for the North those three points was all they had to show for going into the half. The South on the other hand two tuddys for a 14-3 lead at the half. Landen Abernathy of Manchester and Ben Whitver of Powhatan (Dominion District foes) connected for a big-time 33-yard touchdown to end the shutout.
DK Chapman, Jr. of Midlothian provided the other South TD capping off a 35-yard drive.
Between the turnovers and scoring, the two teams only had to punt once each.
Second Half Action
The second half momentum appeared to have swung in the favor of the North despite the South opening the second half with a TD.
There was a 71-yard Nyion Mason of Dinwiddie catch from Stanley Green of Petersburg on a 72-yard drive.
The North countered that TD with their first TD of the day. That came by way of a Chase Roberts of St. Christopher‘s TD pass to Riley Edelman of Atlee to cap off a 5-minute drive.
Then there was defense. Despite a big return to the North 38, the South could not capitalize. Instead Aladdin Sims of Armstrong intercepted the a pass. Yet another turnover on a day defined by turnovers.
Robert Pettaway of Dinwiddie came away with a sack and the North fought right back with back-to-back sacks of QB Landen Abernathy of Manchester.
After the two teams failed to convert first downs the North marched 87 yards and appeared primed for a TD. That was not meant to be so the North instead elected for a second Kyle Bitsko of Douglas Freeman field goal. Antonio Turner of Manchester was having none of it for it was Turner who would come up with a block.
The North for a second straight time on defense forced the South to a punt setting the stage for a climatic ending.
That ending? A 50-yard curtain call on the 2025 football season in the 804. A 50-yard drive that saw…
Davis Fisher of Glen Allen hauling in an 11-yard pass.
Anthony Hansom of Armstrong throwing an incomplete pass and absorbing a sack from Mike Davis of Thomas Dale.
Just like that, the North faced a 3rd & 11 when Hansom hit Daeron Ferugson of Thomas Jefferson with a pass of 10 yards.
QB Ben Yeanay of Hermitage scrambled for 24 yards.
As time expired… Daeron Ferguson punched it in.
The game was in hand for the South but what a way to closeout the 2025 season.
South 21, North 16 – Scoring Chart
| Play | Score | Time |
| 45-yard field goal from Kyle Bitsko. | 3-0 – North | 8:57 (1Q) |
| 33-yard pass from Landen Abernathy to Ben Whitver. PAT good. | 7-3 – South | 5:12 (1Q) |
| 1-yard run from DK Chapman. PAT good. | 14-3 – South | 13:46 (2Q) |
| 71-yard pass from Stanley Green to Nyion Mason. PAT good. | 21-3 – South | 13:04 (3Q) |
| 4-yard pass from Chase Roberts to Riley Edelman. PAT good. | 10-21 – North | 8:40 (3Q) |
| 5-yard run from Daeron Ferguson. | 16-21 – North | :00 (4Q) |
North Players of the Game
Three different QB’s saw action for the North with Chase Roberts of St. Christopher‘s and Ben Yeanay of Hermitage setting themselves apart. Roberts had the only TD pass for the North all day completing 4 of 8 for 66 yards. Ben on the other hand amassed 132 yards of offense with 86 of that coming through the air on 6 of 9 completions… and an INT.
Blake Morris of Caroline was awarded MVP following the game after hauling in 4 balls for 71 yards.
Also making plays on this day would be Daeron Ferguson of Thomas Jefferson scored 1 TD on his way to a hard fought 24 yards off 7 carries. Daeron also had 36 yards off 4 catches for a total of 60 total yards of offense.
On defense Devyn Simmons of Highland Springs had an INT. Donzell Jones-Teal of Armstrong & Chad Young of Henrico combined for 8 tackles to lead the defensive effort
South Players of the Game
Two QB’s for the South shined just as much, if not more than those of the North. Landen Abernathy of Manchester was 11 of 17 for 145 yards and a TD. He did also throw two picks but no QB put up more yards than him. Stanley Green of Petersburg was nearly as efficient completing 6 of 7 for 82 yards a TD of his own.
The air was where it was at for the South as they only churned out 14 yards rushing. JMU bound Ben Whitver (Powhatan) had more catches than anyone on this day with 8 and rolled out 104 yards form this plus a TD. Right on his tail was Dinwiddie‘s Nyion Mason with 4 catches for 103 yards and a TD of his own.
Erin Rice of Midlothian had an INT at the end of the first half to keep the North out of the end zone in the first half. Rice almost had another pick in the first half but couldn’t hold on.
Antonio Turner, Jr. of Manchester had an INT and broke up a pass. Two Central District linebackers had sacks for the South with Robert Pettaway (Dinwiddie) and Mike Davis (Thomas Dale) both blowing up the North QB.