Panthers look ‘super’ against Spartans
Laurel (0) vs. Riverside (21)
Written: Sep 25, 2010
By JOE SAGER
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
Riverside High was feeling “super duper” last night right from the start.
The Panthers were smiling still as they posted a 21-0 Midwestern Athletic Conference win over Laurel at Spartan Stadium.
Riverside (2-2 conference, 2-2 overall) wasted little time taking command. On the first offensive play, the Panthers executed a flea-flicker to perfection as quarterback Matt Wilson took a pitch and lofted a 68-yard scoring strike to Jake Thellman over the middle of the field. He rambled into the end zone 17 seconds into the ballgame for a 7-0 lead.
“I have two ‘old’ guys who help me out with the offense, Tom Liberty and Jim Wilson,” Riverside coach Jesse Rosenberger said. “Jim Wilson was over my shoulder telling me to throw the ball and that was his call. He told me to run ‘super duper,’ and I wasn’t sure. He told me to go for it, so we did it and it worked out.”
That was the first of two big Riverside plays in the first quarter that proved to be the difference. Jared Desensi provided the other with 1:58 left on the clock when he broke several tackles en route to a 32-yard scoring jaunt and a 14-0 lead.
“I think we came out determined. We finally played a solid game and eliminated some mistakes and started living up to some expectations a little bit,” Rosenberger said. “Our kids executed. Our coaches made some good adjustments, and we came out with a victory.”
With a two-score lead, the Panthers’ defensive line took over and dominated the Spartans (0-3, 1-3). White Riverside jerseys constantly infiltrated Laurel’s backfield as the Panthers swarmed to the ball and rendered the Spartans’ running game ineffective.
Laurel managed 33 positive yards on the ground and 67 total yards on the night.
“They played very aggressive up front,” Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser said. “That happens. If you can’t move the ball on the ground … we had a rough night offensively. They played great defense. I thought, other than big plays, our defense played well, too.”
The Spartans’ Dylan Jones entered the game third in Lawrence County rushing with 372 yards on 57 carries. He was limited to 22 yards on 18 carries.
“We knew that that is what they were going to want to do and we did a good job to stop it,” Rosenberger said.
Turnovers cost the hosts, too. They lost a fumble and had a pass intercepted.
Field position played a big factor as well. Laurel did not have much to work with, either. The Spartans’ best starting spot was their own 30. The other drives began from their own 15, 11, 27, 20, 13, 27, 13 and 15.
“Their punter, he hurt us. He really did. Their kicking game was outstanding,” Holzhauser said. “They kept us in the hole, and we had trouble getting out of our own side of the field.”
Laurel got more bad news late in the third quarter when starting quarterback Brandon Ritchie and running back Cody Montgomery left the game less than a minute apart with apparent left leg injuries. The extent of their injuries was unknown.
“We’ll have to wait and see. That’s another thing that’s happened to us all year,” Holzhauser said. “Hopefully, they will heal up. We pray that they are OK.”
Riverside’s Reese Howells hauled in a 19-yard scoring pass from Devin Kelosky in the third quarter to cap the scoring at 21-0. The win kept the Panthers in the middle of the MAC race.
“They all count now. You can’t get too many losses in the conference or you won’t be playing in the postseason,” Rosenberger said. “We just have to work hard and get healthy go from there.”
The Spartans face an uphill climb to get back in the MAC playoff picture halfway through the season. Laurel can claw its way back next week at home against Freedom.
“You really have to battle back, and it’s not an easy thing to do. Every team out there wants to win the game, but there’s always a winner and a loser. The ones that don’t come out on top have a lot to overcome for the next week,” Holzhauser said. “It’s nice to get a win and feel good about that week of practice. I think our kids will rebound. They’ll get ready for next week. We’ll learn from this.”
RIVERSIDE LAUREL
11 First downs 6
127 Yards Rushing 62
8 Yards Lost 29
119 Net Rushing 33
9 Passes Attempted 10
9 Passes Completed 4
0 Passes Intercepted 1
168 Yards Passing 34
287 Total Yards 64
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 4-1
4-38.8 Punts-Average 7-32.1
6-50 Penalties-Yards 4-35
RIVERSIDE 14 0 7 0 — 21
LAUREL 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring plays
RIVERSIDE — Jake Thellman, 68-yard pass from Matt Wilson (Tyler Bailey kick).
RIVERSIDE — Jared Desensi, 32-yard run (Bailey kick).
RIVERSIDE — Reese Howells, 19-yard pass from Devin Kelosky (Bailey kick).
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