Riverside JV wins at Rocky

Riverside’s JV came away with the 42-30 win over Rocky’s JV. Assistant coaches Matt Jensen and Matt Craft traveled with the team to Cowley while head coach Jason Mitchell stayed back to work with some of the varsity.  
Avery Clifford had two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. Zack Kuntz had two rushing touchdowns. Ryder Kozisek had one receiving touchdown and a defensive touchdown, returning a fumble 50 yards, while also hauling in a two-point conversion pass.  Ethan Olson also caught a two-point conversion pass.
“Offensively, we executed well by being physical and controlling the line of scrimmage,” said Jensen. “Although there were some miscues due to the rotation of players, their performance helped overcome those mistakes.
“Avery and Ryder did a commendable job in directing the team at QB, while our running backs displayed determination and resilience after gaining yards after contact. It was truly awesome to witness our players embrace a tough physical mentality on offense.
“Defensively, we were aggressive at the line of scrimmage and pursued the ball well. Our focus at all defensive levels is to play with aggression and disengage from blocks. The linemen improved our hand usage, preventing offensive linemen from holding, while the linebackers stepped up to take on lead blockers instead of allowing running backs to gain momentum. Throughout the game, our linebacker crew consisting of Loomis Alexander, Allan Landis, and Matt Brown played physical and showed improvement.”
Jensen believes the JV squad is showing steady improvement.  “While we told the kids to enjoy the victory, we emphasized the importance of not becoming complacent. It is crucial for us to continue working hard and striving for individual and team improvement. We have a critical stretch of games ahead, and maintaining our momentum is essential as we aim for success in the playoffs. We understand that reaching our goals requires us to put in the effort we put in now to show up later this season.”
Riverside JV’s last game is Monday, Oct. 9 in Shoshoni. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.