Eighth-grader Zac Smiley scored three touchdowns, including an 81-yard game-breaker, to pace the Big Red to a win over a feisty Page County squad in a game that was closer than that score might sound. At the time he broke away for that run, Page had just scored to cut the lead to 20-14 midway through the third quarter and then pinned the Gladiators deep on the ensuing kickoff, hoping to seize the momentum. But he got the corner in front of the Page bench and outraced the defenders to the end zone.
Each team scored on its first possession with Smiley taking it in from 12 yards out after a six-minute drive. The PAT failed. Page then scored on a pass from Mikey Cash to Clay Seal, and added the conversion to take their only lead of the game at 8-6. That duo of Cash and Seal were Page's two main weapons as the Panthers only dressed out about 18 for the game.
For a while it appeared that Page might take their lead into the locker room but RHS pushed across a pair of scores in the final three minutes of the half. First Smiley scored on a 25-yard sweep around left end on 4th down, and then following a Page fumble, the Gladiators drove about 23 yards that the Panthers gave up VERY grudgingly, before quarterback Cyrus Cash pushed across from the half-yard line on the very last play of the half. That score gave Riverheads a 20-8 halftime lead.
Page then took the second half kickoff and scored in less than four minutes to close within 20-14. The kickoff was then bobbled, leaving Riverheads to start from its own 10 yard line, which appeared at the time to shift Big Mo over to the side of the visitors. But Mr. Smiley took care of that moments later and Page never threatened again. The Gladiators capped off the scoring in the fourth with a 30-yard burst right up the middle by Trevor Roberts.
The Varsity teams now meet at Page on Friday night and Riverheads will lock horns next week with Wilson, as the JV game will be at The Hive on Wednesday, while the Varsity teams will play Friday in RHS' last regular-season home game. That will of course be Senior Night for the Big Red.
Each team scored on its first possession with Smiley taking it in from 12 yards out after a six-minute drive. The PAT failed. Page then scored on a pass from Mikey Cash to Clay Seal, and added the conversion to take their only lead of the game at 8-6. That duo of Cash and Seal were Page's two main weapons as the Panthers only dressed out about 18 for the game.
For a while it appeared that Page might take their lead into the locker room but RHS pushed across a pair of scores in the final three minutes of the half. First Smiley scored on a 25-yard sweep around left end on 4th down, and then following a Page fumble, the Gladiators drove about 23 yards that the Panthers gave up VERY grudgingly, before quarterback Cyrus Cash pushed across from the half-yard line on the very last play of the half. That score gave Riverheads a 20-8 halftime lead.
Page then took the second half kickoff and scored in less than four minutes to close within 20-14. The kickoff was then bobbled, leaving Riverheads to start from its own 10 yard line, which appeared at the time to shift Big Mo over to the side of the visitors. But Mr. Smiley took care of that moments later and Page never threatened again. The Gladiators capped off the scoring in the fourth with a 30-yard burst right up the middle by Trevor Roberts.
The Varsity teams now meet at Page on Friday night and Riverheads will lock horns next week with Wilson, as the JV game will be at The Hive on Wednesday, while the Varsity teams will play Friday in RHS' last regular-season home game. That will of course be Senior Night for the Big Red.
