I only saw about the last half of the annual RHS Jamboree, due to a prior commitment, but I will be happy to throw out a few thoughts on what I saw. That means that I did not see Central at all, I saw James River and Fort in action only once each, I saw a scrimmage and a half of Appo, and fortunately got to see all of RHS' two scrimmages.
When I arrived, Appo was in the process of manhandling Fort Defiance and it only got worse. The two timed quarters (12 minutes each) ended with a score of 37-7 in favor of the Raiders. But when they moved into the finale where each team had 10 untimed downs, the Raiders really turned it loose. They scored touchdowns on four of their 10 downs, meaning they had break-away runs of 70 or 80 yards on each of those plays. The Indians lost whatever interior defense they might have had, because all four scores were pretty much straight up the middle untouched. Worst news of all is that it wasn't just one guy doing the damage. They appeared to have a whole stable of backs. Tough day for the Fort and I am sure they could not wait to get back on the bus. From what I understand, they did have a little more success in their opener with Central.
Next up was the James River/Riverheads scrimmage. This was the lowest scoring of the ones I saw. The Gladiators scored two first-quarter TDs, including one nice 50-yard sweep by Landon Diehl. The second quarter was scoreless, so the timed event ended with RHS "winning" by a 13-0 count. JR then scored the only TD in the untimed segment, but they scored it against RHS' second string defense.
For the grand finale, the Raiders took on the Gladiators, and both teams put their offensive weapons on full display. Each marched steadily down the field and scored on a sustained drive on its first possession. Harrison Schaefer scored the Big Red TD. The Gladiators then got a break when Ben Agnor intercepted a pass in which Appo simply must have missed a signal because it seemed as if the pass was almost intended for him.
RHS took that one in for a score to grab a 14-7 lead that they never relinquished. The Raiders on their next possession appeared to have a manageable 4th and 4 deep in RHS territory, but opted for the field goal. It was good to cut the lead to 14-10. But on the first play from scrimmage, Diehl was off and running again, this time sweeping the right side from 65 yards out to put the Big Red on top 21-10. Appo then closed to within 21-17 before RHS capped off the scoring with a nice 38-yard field goal from Tristan Robson that appeared to clear with plenty of room to spare. Big Red fans will expect big things from him again this year.
RHS got the ball first on the 10-play untimed section and scored on play number 9 on a keeper by Tyler Smith, one of four quarterbacks the Gladiators experimented with on the day. Appo also moved the ball well on its series and in fact ended with an acrobatic catch that would have given them a first down at the Gladiator 20 in a real-game situation.
So based on my observations, I would conclude today that the Raiders and Gladiators were pretty evenly matched and should be factors in their respective district races. James River looked good enough to me to be at least a contender or spoiler in the Pioneer, although I only saw their second scrimmage. As for Fort, well it could be a long year....
Everybody got in on the action for RHS and in addition to those already mentioned, Colt Miller and Dalton Jordan ran the ball well. The Gladiator D, although smaller than most years, held its own, especially against the depth and athleticism that Appo brought to the table. And last but not least, the Gladiators' trademark hard count worked at least seven times today, meaning we will gain more than a few penalty yards again this year with that particular maneuver!
When I arrived, Appo was in the process of manhandling Fort Defiance and it only got worse. The two timed quarters (12 minutes each) ended with a score of 37-7 in favor of the Raiders. But when they moved into the finale where each team had 10 untimed downs, the Raiders really turned it loose. They scored touchdowns on four of their 10 downs, meaning they had break-away runs of 70 or 80 yards on each of those plays. The Indians lost whatever interior defense they might have had, because all four scores were pretty much straight up the middle untouched. Worst news of all is that it wasn't just one guy doing the damage. They appeared to have a whole stable of backs. Tough day for the Fort and I am sure they could not wait to get back on the bus. From what I understand, they did have a little more success in their opener with Central.
Next up was the James River/Riverheads scrimmage. This was the lowest scoring of the ones I saw. The Gladiators scored two first-quarter TDs, including one nice 50-yard sweep by Landon Diehl. The second quarter was scoreless, so the timed event ended with RHS "winning" by a 13-0 count. JR then scored the only TD in the untimed segment, but they scored it against RHS' second string defense.
For the grand finale, the Raiders took on the Gladiators, and both teams put their offensive weapons on full display. Each marched steadily down the field and scored on a sustained drive on its first possession. Harrison Schaefer scored the Big Red TD. The Gladiators then got a break when Ben Agnor intercepted a pass in which Appo simply must have missed a signal because it seemed as if the pass was almost intended for him.
RHS took that one in for a score to grab a 14-7 lead that they never relinquished. The Raiders on their next possession appeared to have a manageable 4th and 4 deep in RHS territory, but opted for the field goal. It was good to cut the lead to 14-10. But on the first play from scrimmage, Diehl was off and running again, this time sweeping the right side from 65 yards out to put the Big Red on top 21-10. Appo then closed to within 21-17 before RHS capped off the scoring with a nice 38-yard field goal from Tristan Robson that appeared to clear with plenty of room to spare. Big Red fans will expect big things from him again this year.
RHS got the ball first on the 10-play untimed section and scored on play number 9 on a keeper by Tyler Smith, one of four quarterbacks the Gladiators experimented with on the day. Appo also moved the ball well on its series and in fact ended with an acrobatic catch that would have given them a first down at the Gladiator 20 in a real-game situation.
So based on my observations, I would conclude today that the Raiders and Gladiators were pretty evenly matched and should be factors in their respective district races. James River looked good enough to me to be at least a contender or spoiler in the Pioneer, although I only saw their second scrimmage. As for Fort, well it could be a long year....
Everybody got in on the action for RHS and in addition to those already mentioned, Colt Miller and Dalton Jordan ran the ball well. The Gladiator D, although smaller than most years, held its own, especially against the depth and athleticism that Appo brought to the table. And last but not least, the Gladiators' trademark hard count worked at least seven times today, meaning we will gain more than a few penalty yards again this year with that particular maneuver!
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