Riverheads/Central
- Thread starter blackknight_pride
- Start date
I thought it was a great, old-fashioned smash-mouth game. Riverheads did not attempt a pass. 0-0 at the half, only one big play from both teams when Cook got loose for about 40 yards.
Riverheads recovered an onside kick to start the third quarter and eventually went up 7-0. They controlled the clock and the Central offense the rest of the way until the Falcon's final possession.
A late hit call on the Gladiators saved the Falcon's drive, and Nick Barahona found a receiver on a nuts scramble for about 40 yards to put Central in the red zone. From there, they pounded it in, and Forbes converted on the 2pt.
These teams will play again.
Riverheads recovered an onside kick to start the third quarter and eventually went up 7-0. They controlled the clock and the Central offense the rest of the way until the Falcon's final possession.
A late hit call on the Gladiators saved the Falcon's drive, and Nick Barahona found a receiver on a nuts scramble for about 40 yards to put Central in the red zone. From there, they pounded it in, and Forbes converted on the 2pt.
These teams will play again.
Well when 6 penalties are overturned by the white hat and on one of them 3 flags from 3 different officials were thrown it is hard to call that whining. Four helmets were ripped off penalty overturned. 12 men on the field play happens man runs off field penalty overturned. It was so poorly officiated and anyone that was there knows the white hat should be arrested for pedophilia cause he screwed several kids tonight and allowed a few to get injured and one severely injured.
Stuarts Draft may have a word or two. They narrowly lost to a very, very good King William football team. Stuarts Draft will be in the mix with both Riverheads and Central in that Region.
This game was a classic case of ain't over till the fat lady sings, as Central drove 91 yards for that final TD and conversion to pull out the improbable win. Making the loss even more frustrating for Riverheads was the fact that they had a second touchdown called back around the 5 minute mark that would have put them up 14-0 and most likely salted the game away.
Which of course brings up the topic of the officiating. which one or two posters have already alluded to. The stripes were definitely flag happy tonight but in all honesty, most of them were called on Central. They were not very poised for most of the game and committed a number of major penalties and mental mistakes. In fact just prior to the game-winning drive, a Gladiator punt pinned Central at its own 14. However the receiver gave the fair catch signal but still tried to advance the ball, which sent them back to the 9, and the rest as they say is history.
In the first half especially you had the idea that Central had the talent to win but they were just trying too hard or were overly aggressive, such as falling for a hard count and hitting a player out of bounds. Riverheads by contrast was cooler in that first half and came close to putting the first score on the board in the second quarter when CCC ran the ball down to around the 20 to set them up but Austin Roberts fumbled on the next play and Central recovered.
With the score deadlocked at the half, you knew that the game would be settled on a big play and Riverheads actually had about three of them in an action-packed third quarter. The first being the onside kick which The Big Red executed perfectly.
However they could not move the ball and eventually had to punt. Then came Big Play number two of the quarter when the Falcons fumbled and RHS pounced on it in enemy territory. Roberts then atoned for his early miscue by sweeping right end from about 20 yards out for the first score of the game.
Central then proceeded to move into Riverheads territory, still in the third quarter, looking for the equalizer. But Riverheads stopped them on a close fourth down play that I am astonished was not measured.
As the game wore on there were more and more stoppages of play for cramps or injuries which was of course fully understandable given the heat. We were never impacted by rain although on the way home I did see some distant lightning, so I wonder if other games were not so lucky.
In the fourth quarter, with CCC one of the ones sidelined, promising sophomore Jonathan Talbott swept right end from about 40 yards out and for a few brief seconds it appeared as if the Big Red had scored the much-needed insurance TD. But it was called back on a hold, giving Central the lifeline they needed to pull out the comeback win.
As someone already mentioned, the key play of that final drive came when the Central QB rolled right, could not find anybody open, then scrambled back to the center of the field and fired a prayer that was answered around the 20. Central then managed the clock just wisely enough to score, although they were out of time outs by the end of the game.
So as others have already said, it was a typical first game with lots of mistakes and both teams will probably have cleaner games the rest of the way. Central will host East Rock next Friday whereas Riverheads travels to Tazewell Saturday afternoon.
As for a possible re-match in the regionals, that is a long way off but if it does occur, that one will be more anticipated than this one was. Speaking of anticipation, I have not heard too many other scores yet but it sounds like SD/KW lived up to its hype, but boy, did I get a wrong number on Wilson/Charlottesville! Who saw that massacre coming????
Which of course brings up the topic of the officiating. which one or two posters have already alluded to. The stripes were definitely flag happy tonight but in all honesty, most of them were called on Central. They were not very poised for most of the game and committed a number of major penalties and mental mistakes. In fact just prior to the game-winning drive, a Gladiator punt pinned Central at its own 14. However the receiver gave the fair catch signal but still tried to advance the ball, which sent them back to the 9, and the rest as they say is history.
In the first half especially you had the idea that Central had the talent to win but they were just trying too hard or were overly aggressive, such as falling for a hard count and hitting a player out of bounds. Riverheads by contrast was cooler in that first half and came close to putting the first score on the board in the second quarter when CCC ran the ball down to around the 20 to set them up but Austin Roberts fumbled on the next play and Central recovered.
With the score deadlocked at the half, you knew that the game would be settled on a big play and Riverheads actually had about three of them in an action-packed third quarter. The first being the onside kick which The Big Red executed perfectly.
However they could not move the ball and eventually had to punt. Then came Big Play number two of the quarter when the Falcons fumbled and RHS pounced on it in enemy territory. Roberts then atoned for his early miscue by sweeping right end from about 20 yards out for the first score of the game.
Central then proceeded to move into Riverheads territory, still in the third quarter, looking for the equalizer. But Riverheads stopped them on a close fourth down play that I am astonished was not measured.
As the game wore on there were more and more stoppages of play for cramps or injuries which was of course fully understandable given the heat. We were never impacted by rain although on the way home I did see some distant lightning, so I wonder if other games were not so lucky.
In the fourth quarter, with CCC one of the ones sidelined, promising sophomore Jonathan Talbott swept right end from about 40 yards out and for a few brief seconds it appeared as if the Big Red had scored the much-needed insurance TD. But it was called back on a hold, giving Central the lifeline they needed to pull out the comeback win.
As someone already mentioned, the key play of that final drive came when the Central QB rolled right, could not find anybody open, then scrambled back to the center of the field and fired a prayer that was answered around the 20. Central then managed the clock just wisely enough to score, although they were out of time outs by the end of the game.
So as others have already said, it was a typical first game with lots of mistakes and both teams will probably have cleaner games the rest of the way. Central will host East Rock next Friday whereas Riverheads travels to Tazewell Saturday afternoon.
As for a possible re-match in the regionals, that is a long way off but if it does occur, that one will be more anticipated than this one was. Speaking of anticipation, I have not heard too many other scores yet but it sounds like SD/KW lived up to its hype, but boy, did I get a wrong number on Wilson/Charlottesville! Who saw that massacre coming????
While I was typing that one, I see that someone posted a comment about a "severe" injury to a Riverheads player. I was not aware of that because I crossed the field and watched the fourth quarter from the Central side, so I missed whatever happened or who might be injured. Whatever the case, best wishes for a full recovery and return to action.
Fair. I also think Buckingham could be scary. Played well against Appo and only lost to Central by 5 last season. Going to be a great year in 2B. I think Clarke will surprise people as well.
Always love your write ups, this one is no exception. Hope you enjoyed the game and had a safe trip back down 81. Luckily, I only had to get back to 247 to get to Harrisonburg. Can’t imagine going all the way back to 213.
Gladiators will improve. I was extremely impressed with both defenses tonight. Some big boys on the line.
I agree with you on Buckingham. Buckingham has similar talent to Appomattox. They are talented, big, strong, fast every year. The only thing with Buckingham is their offensive system, or lack of one. Their fans have even stated this on here. They just don't know how to use their speed and athleticism. You just don't see any diversity on offense. This is why I don't favor them over Central, Riverheads or Draft. As far as overall team talent goes, theirs is equal or better than Riverheads, Central and Draft. But coaching x's and o's is also part of the game. I understand their coaching are excellent leaders and motivators of their kids, but offensively relating to x's and o's, they aren't the best, and its a shame because they have more talent than us at Radford across the board.
Exactly and I just don't get it. People thought we had this big fall off from the seniors leaving but I coached all of these kids and I know what we have. Remember I said how they use them is the mystery. We are so deep in talent it's crazy and they are mostly juniors and sophomores. They gave Appomattox too much respect and overlooked what we have. We can match anyone talent for talent but that talent is continuously held back. I don't understand. Crazy thing we have at least 5 ball carriers that can go the distance that didn't even touch the field tonight now that is a true head scratcher. The chatter is getting louder in the stands.
Forbes still a stud! Congratulations, Central Woodstock. Welcome to 2A Riverheads!
Usually when they are that bad, they are bad for both teams.
Great recap by @longtimerhsfan.
I will only add these few takes.
Both teams can hit and for an early season game it was great to see neither team shy away from laying the wood. Some a little late but overall I wouldn’t gripe about most of those except the out of bounds one.
The officials were trash and while it was likely both ways, you can’t call back the nail TD for a hold on the Gladiators and not call the hands to the face again almost ripping a helmet off on the 4th down scramble that allowed the miracle throw to set up the Falcon TD. Things are missed but this was egregious in front of an official that did not make one call against Central that he didn’t pick the flag up on.
There are many more things that could be said after rewatching the game but in the end it doesn’t matter because the scoreboard said 8-6 in favor of Falcons when the clock hit zero. With luck and hard work we will see these two teams play again and I for one can’t wait.
I will only add these few takes.
Both teams can hit and for an early season game it was great to see neither team shy away from laying the wood. Some a little late but overall I wouldn’t gripe about most of those except the out of bounds one.
The officials were trash and while it was likely both ways, you can’t call back the nail TD for a hold on the Gladiators and not call the hands to the face again almost ripping a helmet off on the 4th down scramble that allowed the miracle throw to set up the Falcon TD. Things are missed but this was egregious in front of an official that did not make one call against Central that he didn’t pick the flag up on.
There are many more things that could be said after rewatching the game but in the end it doesn’t matter because the scoreboard said 8-6 in favor of Falcons when the clock hit zero. With luck and hard work we will see these two teams play again and I for one can’t wait.
Whining is never a good look! 😂 If they meet again Riverheads may beat CW but until then take the L and move on.
I saw a player call for fair catch and then run down field with it in different game and no flag called. So it is good to know that is still a rule.
BC I heard Buckingham is the smallest team they have had in a while , y’all are usually big up front !
I don't know about that. I know how week 1s usually go, but that game was pretty sloppy from my vantage point. Too many penalties. Draft will make the playoffs, but I don't expect they will make it out of regionals.
Down 3 lineman yesterday but also the most talented team we had in awhile
I've seen Riverheads play several times now in Salem. Winning the line of scrimmage vs them is key to beating Riverheads. Not easily done. Very impressive job by Central
Agreed. I saw two games this past weekend (nothing in C2)...will see two more this weekend. Both crews were struggling despite one game decided by 37 and another decided by 21.
In the first game, the crew was whistle-happy despite the blowout.
Also, I find that with their internal IFBs to talk to one another, that this has not helped communication. They do a lot of pointing and then coming together to talk instead of blowing the whistle and making a definitive call. I notice this when it comes to simple things like spotting the ball.
I know its early in the season, and some want to make sure that the mechanics of the Coin Toss are sharp, but when you can't spot the ball or mark of a penalty correctly, then that's a problem.
The most horrific mistake I have ever seen officials make, and it seemed like we went through an entire season around here a few years ago in which it happened repeatedly, was to blow the ball dead, spot it, and then decide that it was close enough to measure for a first down. Then they would PICK THE FREAKING BALL UP, carry it to the nearest hash mark, put it down again, and THEN measure! It was appalling!
I read some of the comments on here about Woodstock dominating Riverheads on the line. Everyone has their own take, but I didn't see it that way. I saw a 50-50 battle on the line of scrimmage. Central maybe, slightly got the better up front by a hair, but pretty even up if anything. Riverheads offense gained most of it's yards not necessarily by blowing Central off the ball, but fooling them with that offense, and of course, Cook-Cash just doing crazy stuff on his own when he should have been tackled, but CCC is CCC and does his thing. The TD run he had wasn't a case where Riverheads blew them off the ball. It was just all CCC being CCC. Heck of a game, but that was a 50-50 type game, but I don't think Central dominated them on the line of scrimmage.
Actually Fairlawn, CCC did not have a touchdown run Friday night. He had a long run of maybe 40 yards but was brought down by the last possible tackler somewhere around the 20. RHS then fumbled on the next play to kill that drive.
The lone Riverheads touchdown was scored by Austin Roberts in the third quarter, and then in the fourth, a potential clinching TD was scored by Jonathan Talbott but it was called back on a holding penalty.
As for your primary point about the game being pretty even, I would say that Riverheads held the upper hand for the first 3 quarters, or maybe even 3 1/2, with Central hurting itself quite a bit with penalties, but then when The Falcons were backed up to the wall and HAD to control the game to avoid the loss, they did so. But for both teams there was quite a lot of "bending without breaking" throughout the game.
The lone Riverheads touchdown was scored by Austin Roberts in the third quarter, and then in the fourth, a potential clinching TD was scored by Jonathan Talbott but it was called back on a holding penalty.
As for your primary point about the game being pretty even, I would say that Riverheads held the upper hand for the first 3 quarters, or maybe even 3 1/2, with Central hurting itself quite a bit with penalties, but then when The Falcons were backed up to the wall and HAD to control the game to avoid the loss, they did so. But for both teams there was quite a lot of "bending without breaking" throughout the game.
People can say what they want but the fact is this was a very physical game between two very good teams. Central has the right to be elated about the win giving who it was against and Riverheads shouldn’t hang their heads because of who they lost to. If these two meet up in the post season I might just make that drive up 81 to see it because it’s going to be a hell of a game. I love a low scoring defensive battle and this game was that and more! I don’t see these two losing to anyone else in Region A or B. Just my opinion.
Thanks for the welcome to 2A. Our record against 2A schools over the past 23 years is 86 and 14. Not to shabby but thanks for the welcome. Friday night was a great game to watch.
Did anyone else see the Ref in the parking lot after the game ? He threw his flag at me and said there's another one for you Riverheads . If I were a few years younger ?
Now you see what the rest of VHSL teams have had to deal with the last 8 years...
The officials were bad both ways in this game. The holding call on the long TD run was legit. The hands to the face should have been called I agree on that. Although that play alone did not cause RH to lose. They had multiple chances to secure the win on that drive or even earlier in the game. They had Forbes dead to rights on the 2 point try they could not finish the tackle. It was a knock down slugfest between what I think are the top 2 teams in the Region at this point. See how RH bounces back this weekend. Lets see if Central has a letdown after that emotional win. Who's injury was serious for RH I never noticed one. Depending on how these 2 play this week and if Clarke can knock off King William I think that might give a little edge over RH and Central. All in all it was week one for everyone involved. Learn and grow from the mistakes that were made.
Looks like to me that if CCC wouldn’t have gotten hurt late in the game that Riverheads would’ve had a good chance to have been able to run out the clock on their last drive.
Of course him being out on defense for Central’s last drive, as well as Roberts getting hurt & being out during the drive hurt as well.
These two things bounced in Central’s favor for a win more than penalties, in my opinion.
Of course him being out on defense for Central’s last drive, as well as Roberts getting hurt & being out during the drive hurt as well.
These two things bounced in Central’s favor for a win more than penalties, in my opinion.
