ADVERTISEMENT

Riverheads @ Central

I thought 2 personal fouls and you were automatically ejected.
 
Not saying Riverheads will win state they could. But the jump up in class did not seem to hurt
The jump up in class won't hurt them. Classifications are done by school enrollment. Now the number of players on the sidelines and Riverheads is about the size of a small C4 program. Proves the kids want to play where some schools they sit in the stands
 
I am happy to see all these posts. It will make my job easier tonight after the long trip. So here are my additional comments.....

It is possible that this game was won back in August. I for one left the field that night feeling that we were the better team. We had a TD called back that night that would have given us a two score lead, and then Central won with its miracle finish. So I think the Gladiators made up their minds that they wanted this rematch and were not going to let anything like that happen again.

The obvious difference tonight was a healthy CCC. I believe he had four TDs as the Gladiators scored tonight on every single possession other than the final one in which they intentionally took knees. That of course means that the Big Red played error-free football and did not have to punt all night.

However, there is another player that made two key plays, one on offense and one on defense, that had a major impact on tonight's game. In the latter stages of the second quarter, RHS was leading 20-6 and Central had crossed over the midfield stripe. Everyone in the stadium knew that if they scored before halftime to make it a one score game and then scored again when they received the second half kickoff, we would have a brand new ball game. And of course we all know that Central had the explosiveness to do just that.

But RHS senior Brendon Fortune had other ideas. First the Falcons backed themselves up with one of their many penalties. More on that later. So that left them facing a 3rd and long. Fortune shot the gap and nailed the QB before he even had a chance to think about passing. Then on fourth down, the QB was gang-sacked for a second consecutive play. Fortune may have even been in on that one as well.

So those two sacks left the halftime score at 20-6. But shortly after the break, Fortune made another big play that may have had even more of an impact. First of all the Gladiators shut Central down on that first possession as the Falcons ran about 5 minutes off the clock and came up empty.

On Riverheads' first possession of the second half, Fortune broke up the middle from his fullback position and reeled off about a 40 yard gain. He seemed like he might actually score on the play but he was dragged down around the 8. Triple C eventually scored to make it 27-6. With a three-score lead and the third quarter half over, the handwriting was on the wall.

Shortly after that, the flagfest started, mainly because the Falcons were getting frustrated over the impending loss. That of course fed right into the Big Red's hands and CCC's fourth score of the evening was a thing of beauty that made the score 34-6. He ran like a man possessed on that one, refused to be brought down, and lunged across the goal line on a second effort dive to score.

Not long after that, QB Levi Dunlap who ran the offense to perfection tonight, added the final Gladiator TD to make it 41-6, and as unbelievable as it sounds, we even had a running clock for a short while until Central scored its long TD to close the gap to 41-14.

To summarize I think this one was won on coaching preparations and adjustments and just a willingness to prove that they were the better team. I honestly don't think Riverheads could have played a better game if it had been scripted.

The rest of you have painted a clear picture of all the Central penalties so I won't elaborate on that. Riverheads had a few of its own, including two different occasions in which the refs first marched off yardage against the Gladiators but then reversed field and marched 15 yards back the other way on the same play due to a Central penalty.

As you folks have pointed out, the difference in poise and composure became more evident as the game wore on. Of course the Falcons were disappointed. Who wouldn't be after winning 12 games in a row and hoping to make it back to Salem to take care of some unfinished business? But hopefully they will come to appreciate their season as a whole and set some goals next year to keep that aspect of their game more under control.

Best of luck to the Gladiators next Saturday. All sources seem to indicate that the game will be in Greenville and that the opponent will be Poquoson. It will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.

Meanwhile, as you guys have also touched upon, RHS will start basketball Tuesday as a seven-man skeleton crew will travel to Mountain View for the season-opener. As it stands now, the Big Red is then scheduled to host a Friday/Saturday tip-off tournament with Bath County, James River and Rappahannock County all paying a visit. Not sure how all that will fit into one weekend, but you can bet that someone out there is working on it!
 
Wasn’t going to say anything but that was on the coach since the game was out of hand by then and 51 had already shown his butt on multiple occasions. Coach Yew has been in the game long enough to know and last night I lost all respect I had for not pulling him. Not that my perspective has any bearing on what he does. It’s a poor look for the head coach/assistant AD. Attitude reflects leadership, period.
 
My Saturday morning addition to what I posted would be to give solid credit to the lines for Riverheads, both offensive and defensive, and of course high school ball being what it is, that means that some of the guys played both ways. I am one of those fans who tends to pay more attention to who is scoring the TDs, but last night for Riverheads to score on every possession, and for them to defend Central as effectively as they did, those lines had to have done an awesome job.

If RedPrideNation or someone else who is more familiar with the names would like to post them to give credit to those young men, I think that would be a cool and well-deserved idea.
 
Starting O line is as follows l-r:
Mitchell Withrow, Daniel Heath, Peyton Snell, Noah Ross, and Storm Burtch (sp)

Starting D line is as follows l-r:
Nolan Tyree, Hunter Hulvey, Carson Brooks, Noah Ross

The team played well but that group on their respective sides did a very good job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MCAthletics
Wow, Central was incredibly undisciplined tonight. Poor sports to say the least with all the unsportsmanslike penalites-9 or so. What kind of coaches allow that type of repeated behavior? One kid had 3 alone I think.

Yep! Hands down! Clark is talented but I’d give it to CCC.
Only reason i would give it to Clark is if CCC goes out they're still a solid team. As it has been proven. If Clark goes out theyre a .500 team at best
 
Riverheads is a fine football team. Has to get by a Poquoson team that led Lafayette by 10 points with 6 minutes left in the game. If Riverheads wins that game, the game against Union/Graham/Radford will not be played in a phone booth. All three of these will spread Riverheads out and force their secondary to cover. Riverheads may win easily, but they may also lose easily.
No offense but im not sure wat you've been watching. Neither union or graham has a strong threat of spreading it out and just playing catch and run. Heck Graham had to go to a wildcat to get by gate city. I just dont see it
 
Is it MVP or Player of the Year? If it’s MVP then I could agree with Clark or a handful of other players that are the main reason a team has success. If it’s OPOY then I think it’s a different discussion but I don’t get a vote anyway, lol. Both are deserving of being acknowledged as being a smidge above the biggest majority of their peers along with Clements from Graham.
 
Interesting….I feel like Poqouson has the smallest chance to beat these guys out of the other contenders but you may be right! Some good football left to be played!
Also, if poqouson is as talented and well coached as that 2010 team then they will be an extremely tough out. From my understanding its still the same coach?
 
  • Like
Reactions: blackknight_pride
Poquoson took Lafayette to the 4th quarter so there is no doubt they are legit contenders by anyone’s standard.
They lead Lafayette 14-0, but lost 17-14. Lafayette is playing in the regional championship today and has a legit chance to make it to the state championship game in Class 3.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MCAthletics
Is it MVP or Player of the Year? If it’s MVP then I could agree with Clark or a handful of other players that are the main reason a team has success. If it’s OPOY then I think it’s a different discussion but I don’t get a vote anyway, lol. Both are deserving of being acknowledged as being a smidge above the biggest majority of their peers along with Clements from Graham.
Stats through 12 games
Offense:
154/255 2613yds 32TDs 3int.
92 carries 949yds 23TDs
Defense:
48 TOT 8int (5 return for TD)

This was before last night for Landen.
 
Wasn’t going to say anything but that was on the coach since the game was out of hand by then and 51 had already shown his butt on multiple occasions. Coach Yew has been in the game long enough to know and last night I lost all respect I had for not pulling him. Not that my perspective has any bearing on what he does. It’s a poor look for the head coach/assistant AD. Attitude reflects leadership, period.
That staff has been like that for years…too bad that a few bad actors are allowed to ruin it for the rest.
 
If my memory serves me, I remember reading posts earlier in the year that talked about #51 and his attitude and dirty style of play. So if my memory does serve me, then it's a style that's accepted by the staff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GLADIATOR.BEAVER
Look everyone wants a player or two that play to or just past the whistle. The problem is I was told a family member had been bragging on Facebook about how many helmets he had removed this year. Not sure that should be a source of pride but every team wants/needs an enforcer.

In the end these are high school kids and probably will make plenty more mistakes like all of us have. I see no need to burn either of those young men at the stake, but but I do put it on their coaches for not addressing it. Having watched plenty of their games, I place all the blame at their feet for not coaching them. At some point as a coach you are more than the games you win or lose.

The soap box is wobbling so I will step off
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT