The Big Red moved to 3-0 on the season tonight with a hard fought win that had more plot twists than a Hitchcock movie. Every time it looked like one team had gotten the break it needed, something would happen to swing the momentum back to the other side.
Ironically, Waynesboro got what might have appeared to be the first breaks even before the game started. There had been speculation about whether or not Chris Baker would be back from his injury. Well, not only did he return in fine form but on the other side, Gladiator fans were dismayed to see their star running back Ben Agnor go out for the coin flip in street clothes and on crutches. Word in the stands is that the injury he received in the Lee game turned out to be more serious than originally thought and that he may be gone for the season.
That turn of events meant that tonight's game was going to depend on how well the Gladiators' depth at running back would compensate for Agnor's absence and how much of an adjustment they could make for his usually solid contributions on the defensive side. Both turned out to be non-issues as the trio of Harrison Schaeffer, Colt Miller, and Landon Diehl turned in a vintage Riverheads rushing effort, so much so that the Big Red never even thought about throwing a pass all night. On defense, the Gladiators bent a few times but never broke and never allowed the Giants to tie or take the lead.
RHS received the opening kickoff and took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock with a textbook 62-yard drive to take an early 7-0 lead. I am sorry I don't recall who scored the first touchdown (I do these recaps strictly from memory) but the total on the evening would be three scores for Schaeffer and two for Miller.
The first of the aforementioned plot twists came moments later when the Gladiator D wrestled a fumble away from the Giants near midfield to put the home team right back in business. They took it in for another quick score and the score was 14-0 before the first batch of popcorn finished popping.
Waynesboro continued to have trouble getting revved up and RHS added touchdown number three midway through the second quarter for a commanding 21-0 lead and it appeared at that point that the Giants had simply not come to play.
Riverheads got the ball back for a fourth time and seemed well on their way to a 28-0 lead when the Giants got their first big break of the game. An errant pitchout hit the ground (pretty much RHS' only miscue of the night) and Waynesboro pounced on it around their own 35.
That fumble recovery definitely energized the Purple and Gold, as they moved quickly down the field and scored with just 15 seconds left on a Cody Dawson TD reception. They then came out of the locker room, took the kickoff and quickly moved in for their second score of the evening, which came on a Baker keeper, and suddenly we had a ball game at 21-14.
But Riverheads kept the poise it is known for, and answered that score, still in the third quarter, to ease back ahead 28-14 on Schaeffer's second TD of the game.
Waynesboro still refused to fold and moved quickly back into the red zone. They scored early in the fourth quarter on Dawson's second TD of the game, the score coming from about 9 yards out on a fourth and goal. Each team was having a perfect night with PAT's so Waynesboro's third of the game made the score 28-21 with the outcome still very much in doubt.
The Giants definitely had the momentum at that point and it looked like it was going to come down to a question of whether they could stop Riverheads and score again to make it 28-27 and set up a dramatic tying or go-ahead extra point try.
But the Gladiators marched up the field, equally determined that the Giants were not going to get that opportunity. The Big Red killed a few minutes off the clock and it ticked under the six minute mark when it looked as if the Giants had indeed gotten the break they needed. They stopped RHS on a fourth and one around the Giants 45, and the visitors took over, ready to drive in for that tying or winning score.
However, fate had one final cruel blow in store for the Giants, as Ridge Stokes stripped the ball from Baker on a pass attempt and the Big Red recovered in Waynesboro territory with 5:20 left in the game. Two or three plays later, Schaeffer had the highlight-reel run of the night for RHS as he broke three or four tackles and scored from about 33 yards out on sheer determination. I have since seen on TV highlights that he rushed for something in the 180 range tonight.
That final Riverheads TD took the wind out of the Giants' sails so completely that they didn't even use their timeouts to try and get back in the game, allowing RHS to escape with a win by the exact same score as last year's game in Waynesboro. The victory simply came down to Riverheads doing what it does best....running the daylights out of the ball, keeping their cool under fire, and making very few mistakes.
The Giants however are to be commended for their solid game plan and inspired effort. They threw a lot of different formations at the Gladiator defense, including occasionally putting Baker out as a wide-out and using Steffan Thornton as the quarterback. But in the final analysis it came down to RHS being able to stay in command and adjust a little better to the flow of the game.
The Big Red travels to Luray next week for the Shenandoah District opener in what will be billed as an early-season battle of the unbeatens, as each team will enter that one 3-0. With the loss tonight, Waynesboro is 2-2 heading into Valley District play where they will still be considered one of the contenders for the crown.
Ironically, Waynesboro got what might have appeared to be the first breaks even before the game started. There had been speculation about whether or not Chris Baker would be back from his injury. Well, not only did he return in fine form but on the other side, Gladiator fans were dismayed to see their star running back Ben Agnor go out for the coin flip in street clothes and on crutches. Word in the stands is that the injury he received in the Lee game turned out to be more serious than originally thought and that he may be gone for the season.
That turn of events meant that tonight's game was going to depend on how well the Gladiators' depth at running back would compensate for Agnor's absence and how much of an adjustment they could make for his usually solid contributions on the defensive side. Both turned out to be non-issues as the trio of Harrison Schaeffer, Colt Miller, and Landon Diehl turned in a vintage Riverheads rushing effort, so much so that the Big Red never even thought about throwing a pass all night. On defense, the Gladiators bent a few times but never broke and never allowed the Giants to tie or take the lead.
RHS received the opening kickoff and took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock with a textbook 62-yard drive to take an early 7-0 lead. I am sorry I don't recall who scored the first touchdown (I do these recaps strictly from memory) but the total on the evening would be three scores for Schaeffer and two for Miller.
The first of the aforementioned plot twists came moments later when the Gladiator D wrestled a fumble away from the Giants near midfield to put the home team right back in business. They took it in for another quick score and the score was 14-0 before the first batch of popcorn finished popping.
Waynesboro continued to have trouble getting revved up and RHS added touchdown number three midway through the second quarter for a commanding 21-0 lead and it appeared at that point that the Giants had simply not come to play.
Riverheads got the ball back for a fourth time and seemed well on their way to a 28-0 lead when the Giants got their first big break of the game. An errant pitchout hit the ground (pretty much RHS' only miscue of the night) and Waynesboro pounced on it around their own 35.
That fumble recovery definitely energized the Purple and Gold, as they moved quickly down the field and scored with just 15 seconds left on a Cody Dawson TD reception. They then came out of the locker room, took the kickoff and quickly moved in for their second score of the evening, which came on a Baker keeper, and suddenly we had a ball game at 21-14.
But Riverheads kept the poise it is known for, and answered that score, still in the third quarter, to ease back ahead 28-14 on Schaeffer's second TD of the game.
Waynesboro still refused to fold and moved quickly back into the red zone. They scored early in the fourth quarter on Dawson's second TD of the game, the score coming from about 9 yards out on a fourth and goal. Each team was having a perfect night with PAT's so Waynesboro's third of the game made the score 28-21 with the outcome still very much in doubt.
The Giants definitely had the momentum at that point and it looked like it was going to come down to a question of whether they could stop Riverheads and score again to make it 28-27 and set up a dramatic tying or go-ahead extra point try.
But the Gladiators marched up the field, equally determined that the Giants were not going to get that opportunity. The Big Red killed a few minutes off the clock and it ticked under the six minute mark when it looked as if the Giants had indeed gotten the break they needed. They stopped RHS on a fourth and one around the Giants 45, and the visitors took over, ready to drive in for that tying or winning score.
However, fate had one final cruel blow in store for the Giants, as Ridge Stokes stripped the ball from Baker on a pass attempt and the Big Red recovered in Waynesboro territory with 5:20 left in the game. Two or three plays later, Schaeffer had the highlight-reel run of the night for RHS as he broke three or four tackles and scored from about 33 yards out on sheer determination. I have since seen on TV highlights that he rushed for something in the 180 range tonight.
That final Riverheads TD took the wind out of the Giants' sails so completely that they didn't even use their timeouts to try and get back in the game, allowing RHS to escape with a win by the exact same score as last year's game in Waynesboro. The victory simply came down to Riverheads doing what it does best....running the daylights out of the ball, keeping their cool under fire, and making very few mistakes.
The Giants however are to be commended for their solid game plan and inspired effort. They threw a lot of different formations at the Gladiator defense, including occasionally putting Baker out as a wide-out and using Steffan Thornton as the quarterback. But in the final analysis it came down to RHS being able to stay in command and adjust a little better to the flow of the game.
The Big Red travels to Luray next week for the Shenandoah District opener in what will be billed as an early-season battle of the unbeatens, as each team will enter that one 3-0. With the loss tonight, Waynesboro is 2-2 heading into Valley District play where they will still be considered one of the contenders for the crown.
