ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Like a horde of fierce buccaneers held at bay. And then unleashed in an all-hands-on-deck assault. That’s how the Rocky River Pirates stormed onto the field for their belated 2020 season opener. And woe betide any foe in their way. Even if that foe is from just down the street. Or – in the case of how this contest is framed – just down the road.
On Friday night at Rocky River Stadium, the foe was a football squad from Fairview. The assault – from that initial charge onto the field right through the final whistle – was played out on the gridiron in the heart of River. And in the COVID-19 pandemic era, social distancing was practiced most definitively on the scoreboard.
The Pirates scored early and often in a first-quarter onslaught that saw the home side land five big haymakers before the season was even 10 minutes old. Rocky River (1-0, 1-0 Great Lakes Conference) scored five touchdowns in the first quarter on its way to scoring seven unanswered TDs in the first half of an eventual 46-14 victory over the Warriors.
The Bebie brothers – junior Tommy and sophomore John – combined to reach paydirt four times on what was a beautiful, chamber-of-commerce-type early autumn evening for kicking off the 104th season of Rocky River Football. That quartet of scores came in four different fashions and on plays that were well-blocked, well-defended, and/or well-coached.
It was senior captain Joey Pike lifting the lid on the barrel of buccaneer scores when he hauled in a pass from junior quarterback Braedon Spies on a well-timed play-call at 8:49 of the first quarter. A wide-open Pike caught the ball in stride near the Pirate logo and then outraced everyone to the valuable turf – the maroon-painted kind – at the north end of the field. The play went in the book as a 73-yard pass and onto the board -- alongside a converted extra point – as a 7-0 lead. Working behind a diligent line, Spies would throw another TD pass (to Stan Heuler at 4:14 in the first) and run in a score of his own (a 10-yarder on a nifty play-fake at 8:47 of the second) as part of an efficient and productive evening under center.
John Bebie logged two touchdowns on the night, both in the return game. Bebie scored on a 78-yard punt return in the first quarter and then on an 85-yard kickoff return in the third.
Tommy Bebie punched in with a 53-yard interception return for a TD in the first quarter. The Swiss Army-knife senior talent – who plays key roles on offense, defense, and special teams – also scored a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
The Pirate defense was sharp throughout and against both the run and pass. In the first half, River defenders pitched two three-and-outs and came away with a pair of takeaways (interceptions by Tommy Bebie and Jacob Gura). Impressive all-around performances were turned in by Aiden Andrako (four tackles, tackle for loss, ½-sack), Gura (interception, pass break-up), Parker Hartup (five tackles), David Rosenberg (six tackles), and Michael Somers (three tackles).
The Warriors (0-1, 0-1) gave a game effort, with backs running hard and giving Pirate tacklers all they could handle. The Fairview offense started gaining traction late in the second quarter and would go on to score on two impressive drives – of 82 and 65 yards -- in the second half. Sophomore Nate Glanc, junior Gavin Jennings, and sophomore Zach Wilson were significant contributors up and down the field throughout the contest.
In one sense, despite the hard-nosed play by the visitors, Friday belonged to a Pirate football program logging its largest winning margin (32) since Sept. 7, 2018 (41-7 win over Collinwood) and its highest single-game point total since Oct. 12, 2016 (50-6 win over Normandy).
But in a larger sense, this particular Friday night under the lights belonged to two communities which happen to share a road (for argument’s sake, let’s call that road Wagar) and who were ready to rally together for a sense of normalcy in a year where that’s hard to find. So, tag Friday’s final as Rocky River 46 – Fairview 14 … or, perhaps as RiverView 60 – Covid 19. Either way: helmet stickers all around for the school administrators, coaches, players, and families on both sides -- and the game workers -- who got the ball over this particular goal line.
It was a combined effort worthy of a standing ovation.
CANNON FIRE …
YARD SAIL: Braedon Spies was spelled by sophomore Mack Massad in the second half, but the junior signal caller still managed to throw for 127 yards in a 4-of-4 performance. Spies’ second touchdown pass on the night marked the 20th of his career.
RESOLVED RUNNING: The Double-R run game cranked out 6.0 yards per carry on Friday. The Pirates rambled for 156 yards – much of that after contact – on 26 carries. Tommy Bebie toted the pigskin 13 times for 88 yards (6.8 average).
MARCHING BAND (OF BROTHERS): The River offense scored on drives of 78, 78, 39, 53, 82, and 41 yards in the Battle of Wagar Road. The Pirates went 3-of-5 on third-down conversions. … Friday’s game marked the 86th in the all-time series between Rocky River and Fairview. The Sons of Blackbeard have now won seven straight from the Warriors. The west-side suburb series dates to 1935.
by Skip Snow
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