by PAINESVILLE, Ohio – The Painesville Riverside Beavers entered their homecoming showdown against the Madison Blue Streaks facing a lot of adversity.
Riverside at 1-3 starting the game were in a must win situation if they hope to make a run at a division two region five playoff spot.
“Adversity tests your toughness not only physically but mentally,” Riverside head coach Dave Bors said. “It was easy to be down at 1-3.”
The Beavers passed the adversity test in front of the homecoming crowd in the 38-22 win over the Blue Streaks.
Riverside jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Kicker Luke Griffith connected on a 32-yard field on their opening drive. Quarterback Domenic Lulow hooked up James Bruno for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the second drive. Linebacker Josh Hannan would return an Alex Dragas interception 37-yards for a defensive score.
Dragas would avenge the interception on the next possession. His inside slant connection to wide receiver Cole Tanner turned into a 48-yard touchdown pass. Madison would cut the Riverside deficit to 17-7 heading to the second quarter.
The second quarter was filled with miscues and missed opportunities for both squads until the final seconds. Madison junior defensive back Barat Gasi recorded the first of two interceptions on the night. Gasi returned the football down to the Riverside two yard line. Three plays later, Dragas would call his own number on the bootleg right and finds the endzone. Blue Streaks with the momentum heading into halftime despite trailing 17-14.
The Blue Streaks lost the momentum and couldn’t get in back. Riverside would march down the field on their first two drives of the third quarter to get their 17-point lead back.
Senior running back Jordan Smith would go 24-yards to the endzone on the opening drive of the second half. It’s 24-14 Beavers. Lulow would call his own number and go four yards for the score. Riverside up 31-14.
“Failure has a funny way of providing you really good feedback,” Bors said “That’s something we didn’t do last week against Chardon. The adjustments were just about more about what we do and doing it better.”
“At halftime we thought we felt good about ourselves,” Madison head coach Tim Willis said. “They come out and run it right down our throats. That’s a sign of a not a good football team. Give them the credit, they brought their game tonight.”
Riverside put the game on ice on the first play of the fourth quarter. Lulow connected with Matt Spofford on a nine yard touchdown pass. Beavers up 38-14.
On the ensuing kick off, Tanner would go down with what appeared to be a neck injury. The Blue Streaks wide receiver would be carted off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
The Blue Streaks would respond following the delay. Running back Austin McCourt would rumble 67 yards down to the Beavers seven yard line. Three plays later, Dragas would sneak it in from a yard out. Dragas would also convert the two point conversion by finding Jacob Fisher in the endzone.
After the Beavers went three and out, Madison made one last attempt at a comeback. A McCourt fumble in Riverside territory and recovered by the Beavers put the game away.
Riverside and Madison are both 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Western Reserve Conference. The Beavers travel to Eastlake North to face the Rangers in week six. The Blue Streaks return home to host the undefeated Mayfield Wildcats in week six.
Scott Piker is the Indians beat writer for Kee On Sports Media Group. He has over 20 years of media experience in Northeast Ohio including six years of television sports producing for television stations WEWS and WOIO in Cleveland. Scott will cover Cleveland Sports at all levels and also serve as a Cleveland media insider. So follow him on twitter @ScottPikerSport.
