It was a hot one in Bridgewater tonight......so much in fact that the action started almost 45 minutes late due to an announced "heat delay." There was a JV scrimmage first, which was a defensive slugfest in which neither team scored. They played two series each of 10 untimed downs, followed by a timed quarter. Since there was no scoring by either team, and since each team rotated players in and out, it would be hard to call either team the "winner." But you can bet that each coaching staff was analyzing things in much more detail than the fans in the stands.
Speaking of the fans, hats off as always to the Riverheads faithful who always have and apparently always will travel well. Tonight they outnumbered the home team fans at least two or three to one. So any school RHS visits this year can probably look forward to a healthy gate and a busy concession stand,
As for the varsity scrimmage, as indicated in my headline, each team did what it does best tonight and for stretches of the game, neither team could stop the other's strength. If you know the reputation of these two teams, you are probably already ahead of me and you know that Riverheads ran and ran the ball and then ran it some more, whereas TA was much more proficient in the aerial game.
RHS started the action from its own 30 and much to everyone's surprise, they put a pair of touchdowns on the board before they could use up those opening ten plays. Jackson Fitzgerald, who is expected to be the Big Red's top rusher this year, scored those first two TDs, but in each case he was set up by long breakaway runs by Spencer Simpson and Skyler Shiflett. Those two gallops made Fitzgerald's job a bit easier.
TA then took over for its 10 plays and went immediately to the air. They eventually connected for their first TD of the evening with a picture-perfect 50 yard bomb right over the middle. I believe I have read that the Knights are breaking in a new sophomore quarterback, and if so, he got off to a good start tonight.
Soon after those first three TDs, a gang of hanky-throwing villains showed up in stripes, a chain crew set up on the sidelines, and numbers started to appear on the scoreboard. In other words, the rest of the scrimmage was played at something that at least resembled game conditions.
Riverheads picked up where it left off as Fitzgerald took off for his most impressive run of the night. I would estimate it was around 60 yards give or take and once he broke the line of containment, it was a foot race, one that he won.
Unchallenged PATs were used in this part of the scrimmage, so Bryan Lopez-Rojas split the uprights to put the visitors ahead 7-0. However from that point on, it is only fair to the Knights to say that they controlled the rest of the scrimmage. The passing game started to click and they scored two quick ones to go ahead 14-7.
The Gladiators tried to answer back as Simpson went the distance this time from about 50 yards out, but it was called back on one of those aforementioned yellow things that were thrown around much more than anyone ever wants them to be.
Missing that potential tying TD sort of took the wind out of the Riverheads sails, as they never scored again, and TA tacked on two more for a final "score" of 27-7. But since I am a glass half-full kind of guy, I choose to look at it as an overall 5-3 touchdown margin for the Knights, not to mention the one RHS had called back which could have made it a closer game.
So if you consider that this was a Class 1 team playing a Class 3 team on its own field, I was OK with the Gladiators' effort tonight. Coach Norcross and his staff had to be pleased to see the other two breakaway threats, as they will take some pressure off Fitzgerald. As always with RHS, another half dozen guys had carries tonight, including a quarterback keeper play that TA did not always react to.
As for the Knights, as already mentioned, their unproven QB had a nice night, so they will likely be in the thick of the Valley District race again this year. They will also have two early measuring-stick games against Shenandoah opponents, as they will play both Fort Defiance and Wilson within the first four weeks of the regular season.
But if you want to hear about an event that will REALLY show a team where it stands, I believe the Gladiators' second scrimmage will be at home next week against Bluefield, WV. That may not mean a whole lot to the average Big Red fan, but my guess is that quite a few of you know what the home team will be up against in that one. Should be quite interesting.......
Speaking of the fans, hats off as always to the Riverheads faithful who always have and apparently always will travel well. Tonight they outnumbered the home team fans at least two or three to one. So any school RHS visits this year can probably look forward to a healthy gate and a busy concession stand,
As for the varsity scrimmage, as indicated in my headline, each team did what it does best tonight and for stretches of the game, neither team could stop the other's strength. If you know the reputation of these two teams, you are probably already ahead of me and you know that Riverheads ran and ran the ball and then ran it some more, whereas TA was much more proficient in the aerial game.
RHS started the action from its own 30 and much to everyone's surprise, they put a pair of touchdowns on the board before they could use up those opening ten plays. Jackson Fitzgerald, who is expected to be the Big Red's top rusher this year, scored those first two TDs, but in each case he was set up by long breakaway runs by Spencer Simpson and Skyler Shiflett. Those two gallops made Fitzgerald's job a bit easier.
TA then took over for its 10 plays and went immediately to the air. They eventually connected for their first TD of the evening with a picture-perfect 50 yard bomb right over the middle. I believe I have read that the Knights are breaking in a new sophomore quarterback, and if so, he got off to a good start tonight.
Soon after those first three TDs, a gang of hanky-throwing villains showed up in stripes, a chain crew set up on the sidelines, and numbers started to appear on the scoreboard. In other words, the rest of the scrimmage was played at something that at least resembled game conditions.
Riverheads picked up where it left off as Fitzgerald took off for his most impressive run of the night. I would estimate it was around 60 yards give or take and once he broke the line of containment, it was a foot race, one that he won.
Unchallenged PATs were used in this part of the scrimmage, so Bryan Lopez-Rojas split the uprights to put the visitors ahead 7-0. However from that point on, it is only fair to the Knights to say that they controlled the rest of the scrimmage. The passing game started to click and they scored two quick ones to go ahead 14-7.
The Gladiators tried to answer back as Simpson went the distance this time from about 50 yards out, but it was called back on one of those aforementioned yellow things that were thrown around much more than anyone ever wants them to be.
Missing that potential tying TD sort of took the wind out of the Riverheads sails, as they never scored again, and TA tacked on two more for a final "score" of 27-7. But since I am a glass half-full kind of guy, I choose to look at it as an overall 5-3 touchdown margin for the Knights, not to mention the one RHS had called back which could have made it a closer game.
So if you consider that this was a Class 1 team playing a Class 3 team on its own field, I was OK with the Gladiators' effort tonight. Coach Norcross and his staff had to be pleased to see the other two breakaway threats, as they will take some pressure off Fitzgerald. As always with RHS, another half dozen guys had carries tonight, including a quarterback keeper play that TA did not always react to.
As for the Knights, as already mentioned, their unproven QB had a nice night, so they will likely be in the thick of the Valley District race again this year. They will also have two early measuring-stick games against Shenandoah opponents, as they will play both Fort Defiance and Wilson within the first four weeks of the regular season.
But if you want to hear about an event that will REALLY show a team where it stands, I believe the Gladiators' second scrimmage will be at home next week against Bluefield, WV. That may not mean a whole lot to the average Big Red fan, but my guess is that quite a few of you know what the home team will be up against in that one. Should be quite interesting.......
