Rivers Football Opens With a Bang!

 

By Bob Lesniak

 

 

 

In its quest to earn its first winning record in nearly three decades the Rivers football team is undefeated at 3-0. Rivers has outscored the opposition 98 to 51 and outyarded its opponents by a combined 1225-699, turning the ball over once while taking the ball away nine times. Rivers is led by a tremendous coaching staff, featuring head coach Rich Fisher (a linebacker for the 1990 Colorado University national champs) and assistants Laz Mitjans, Matt Reera, Jim Tsekrekas, and Bruce Taylor.

 

The club is captained by seniors Ben Patrick (610 yards rushing on 61 carries along with four interceptions on the other side of the ball), highly touted D-1 college prospect Taariq Allen (one pick and eleven initial tackles on defense along with 16 catches for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 164 yards rushing on 16 carries and a pair of touchdowns), fullback/linebacker Rob Costa (one rushing TD and two receiving TDs) and lineman extraordinaire Ryan Yurewicz. All four young men start both ways.

 

The offensive unit is quarterbacked by junior Shaq Sandiford, who has completed 24 of 41 passes for 312 yards. Junior linebacker/tight end George Crowley gives Sandiford a second deep threat to go with lightning-fast Allen. Sandiford is also a capable runner, racking up 24 yards on 4 tries. Back-up fullback Danny Corcoran has 19 yards on two carries.

 

Senior defensive back Gabe Zetter has 8 tackles while Patrick has seven. Junior defensive lineman Nick Lund and senior defensive lineman Alex Walsh have seven tackles apiece while senior DB Tom Rehnert has made six tackles. Junior linebacker Matt Ryan has five initial tackles while senior lineman Mitch Newcomb has four. Lund and Newcomb own the team's two sacks while Ryan recovered an onside kick. Crowley and senior linebacker Tanner Powers (10 tackles) each have recovered a fumble while Zetter and junior lineman Eddie Sullivan have each forced a fumble. The defensive has recovered seven turnovers while giving away the football just once.

 

Senior kicker Ben Marcus has booted five of nine extra point kicks. Other key contributors include freshman Nolan Kislaukis, sophomores Alex Andonian and Kacper Adach, juniors Brendan King, Dave Nagelberg, Will Oldach and Sam Birger. Other players expected to make some noise for Rivers this season are Tyler Swartz, Mike Paczkowski, Carlin Haymon, Monty Williams, Brendan Gates, Sam Berger, Rob McLarnon, Joe Hester, Andy Hill, Tom Oppenheim and Sebastian Duchene. The team managers are junior Jessica Kraft and senior Marissa Del Favero.

 

Saturday, October 9 at Groton, Coach Fisher's team battled relentlessly every play against a truly formidable foe before returning home to Weston with a 31-26 victory. Offensively the key was balance (263 yards rushing and 147 yards passing) while the key on the other side of the ball was continually aggressive team defense as ten different players each recorded multiple initial tackles.

 

Rivers charged to a 7-0 jump when Sandiford hit Costa (18 yards on 4 carries) with a 7-yard scoring toss. Ben Marcus converted the EPK. Before the opening period could elapse, Groton evened the count at 7-7 with its first of four rushing touchdowns. In the second quarter Ben Patrick (186 yards rushing on 18 carries) exploded for a 79-yard TD jaunt after his offensive line provided him with a shot of daylight at the line of scrimmage. Groton blocked the ensuing EPK but Rivers led 13-7. Before intermission, however, Groton (1-1 entering the contest) scored and added the point-after for a 14-13 edge.

 

Wide receiver/defensive back Taariq Allen reminded ISL fans that he is perhaps the league's most exciting star. In the second period Allen darted 35 yards for a rushing TD then hauled in a 50-yard TD bomb from Sandiford. Allen would finish the afternoon with 44 yards on three runs and 8 catches for 114 yards. Defensively he would lead Rivers with eight initial tackles. Shaq completed 11 of 15 aerials for 147 yards and drilled his fourth and fifth touchdown passes of 2010. Through three games Allen and Patrick have each notched 36 points. Late in the third period Groton sliced a 25-14 deficit to six points.

 

Like most ISL clubs, Groton is well-coached and very disciplined. It was not surprising to see this team methodically march down the field midway through the final quarter for a 26-25 command. According to defensive coach Laz Mitjans, “Groton has some terrific offensive weapons and those guys gave us all we could handle.”

 

Rivers refused to succumb and responded to Groton's fourth-quarter score with a brilliant drive of its own. An acrobatic reception by Patrick for 19 yards helped keep the march alive then a few plays later it was Patrick running in the game-winning TD from six yards out. Despite failing to complete three consecutive conversion passes Rivers managed a 31-26 triumph. It was not a perfect performance but an exciting, hard-fought one. For the coaches this game was stressful but for the fans it was a thing of beauty.

 

The Rivers' defense made a trio of dramatic plays. Interceptions from Matt Ryan and George Crowley and Nick Lund's tackle of the Groton punter following a poor snap. Making eight tackles was Allen while Mike Rehnert(a 7-yard catch on offense) and Crowley each had seven. Ryan, Mike Powers and Sam Birger had four a piece while Alex Walsh had three. Making two tackles each were Dave Nagelberg, Gabe Zetter and Lund. Nolan Kislawkis recorded one initial tackle.

 

 

 

Rivers' next contest will be at Waterman Field Saturday at 2:00 against Brooks.