Riverside Rebels From the Huddle

Our recent matchup against Burlington was certainly not the outcome we had hoped for. We came out flat, and unfortunately, we let a very good team get the best of us in all three phases of the game. Burlington is a big, physical squad, and bringing 28 players to the sidelines gives them more depth than many 9-man programs. 

Tip of the cap to Coach Aagard and his staff for what they have built. As coaches, that loss lands on us.  We need to do a better job of preparing our squad and teaching them how to handle adversity when things don’t go our way.

Despite the tough day, we saw some impressive individual efforts on both sides of the ball:

Offensive Leader: Rocco Huggins set the tone on the ground, driving through defenders to finish with 94 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Defensive Leaders: Brian Lee Anderson anchored the defense with 5 solo tackles and 3 assists. He was backed up by a relentless trio—Jaxson Womack, Corbyn Godfrey, and Alan Landis—who each recorded 9 tackles.

I know the character of this locker room. We have a solid group of upperclassmen, and I fully expect our Seniors and Juniors to step up, take ownership, and get this ship pointed back in the right direction.

Looking ahead, we turn our focus to Homecoming week as we prepare to take on Hanna-Elk Mountain. They are another big, physical football team that has stormed out to a 2-0 start while racking up 130 points in their first two games. We have our work cut out for us, but I know our boys will rise to the occasion and meet the challenge head-on.

We need our entire school, alumni, and local community to come out in full force to pack the stands and bring the energy. Join us as we officially open our home season on the new Jim Gibbs Field this Friday at 2:00 p.m. 

Go Rebels!