ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- The alumni did its part. The student body did its part. The marching band did its part. The weather man did his part. The cheerleaders did their part -- and they certainly had plenty to cheer about as Rocky River blasted Fairview in Friday's Homecoming Game.
The Pirates bolted to a 35-0 lead over the opening 12 minutes of play. With liberal use of players up and down the roster and a running clock for the entire second half, Rocky River defeated the Warriors, 45-7. All of River's points were scored in the opening half. They were tallied thusly:
Senior quarterback Braedon Spies willed his way to a 53-yard touchdown run on the fifth play of the game. Four minutes later, Spies hit fellow senior Patrick Lange on a 21-yard TD pass to lift the Pirates to a 14-0 lead by the mid-point of the first quarter.
A stingy River defense followed Lange's score with a three-and-out, and the Detroit Road Buccaneers turned good field position into a quick-strike touchdown. That score came at the 2:55-mark when junior Mack Massad hauled in a 30-yard bomb launched from the right arm of Spies, who on the night recorded his sixth and seventh TD passes of the season. The first play of the Warriors' next possession turned into another Rocky River TD when senior Jacob Gura returned an interception for a score. The Pirate lead was 28-0 with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter.
River scored once more in the fourth after another three-and-out pitched by the Pirate defense and an Aidan Andracko blocked punt deep in Fairview territory. Tommy Bebie punched in a 2-yard TD run to turn the special-teams conquest into six points. For the game, the Rocky River defense logged a trio of three-and-outs in addition to forcing two turnovers on downs and three outright turnovers.
The Maroon & White closed out their 45-point night with an early-second-quarter touchdown run by Johnny Bebie and a mid-quarter 37-yard field goal by Massad.
All the while, River was dominant in the trenches on both sides of the ball. On defense, the Pirates registered a sack (Tommy Bebie), four quarterback hurries (two by Johnny Bebie), and three run stuffs (Johnny Bebie, Aiden Konet, Evan Merk). The home side didn't allow a Fairview drive of more-than-17 yards until late in the game when senior quarterback Sean McNamara engineered a fine 86-yard drive which culminated in the Warriors' lone score of the contest.
Don't mistake the Fairview (1-5, 0-2 Great Lakes Conference West Division) lack of production for a lack of effort. The visitors battled, making solid plays throughout and displaying impressive attitude and resolve.
The running clock made for a second half comprised of just 27 total plays (nine for the Pirates). But River reserves put in good work on offense and defense, logging reps that figure to benefit the team's overall depth as the season moves deeper into October.
For the game, Rocky River (5-2, 3-0) had 300 total yards on just 35 plays from scrimmage. In a rivalry nicknamed the Battle of Wagar Road -- at least on points north of Center Ridge Rd. -- River's road to 300 yards was paved by the running game. The Pirates rushed for 233 yards on 30 carries (7.8-yard average). Those 30 totes were divvied among seven backs. Tommy Bebie (six carries, 42 yards), Johnny Bebie (4-46), and Braedon Spies (4-81) combined to tally the lion's share of the rushing yardage. Parker Hartup, Nick Disalvo, Brody Hahn, and Abel Sereika also contributed to the Homecoming rush party.
As with every other component of a well-run Homecoming Game -- from Script River to well-scripted drives down the field -- everyone on Rocky River's gridiron squad did his part. And the sum ... was something special.
CANNON FIRE ...
TACKLE BOX: River's leading tacklers Friday were Trent Delventhal (six), Parker Hartup (five), and Aiden Konet (five). Kai Delventhal added four stops and a fumble recovery. Owen Kleckner was a force in kick coverage and had four tackles overall. Michael Sommers logged two tackles, a pass break-up, and his first career interception.
ON DECK: Rocky River will host Westlake on Oct. 8. The Friday night under the lights at Rocky River Stadium will mark Senior Night for the Sons of Blackbeard. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
2K TOMMY: In last week's game at Bay, Tommy Bebie rushed for 251 yards and four TDs. Bebie's 79th yard that night marked the 2,000th of his career. The senior running back became the seventh Rocky River player to hit that mark. Through Friday's contest against Fairview, Bebie has rushed for 851 yards on the season and 2,214 over his career.
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: The Pirates have rushed for 230 yards-or-more in four games this season. Overall, Rocky River has clocked 7.3 yards per attempt in amassing 1,687 yards through seven games. With Tommy Bebie (13 rushing touchdowns) and Braedon Spies (seven) leading the way, River has cranked out 25 TDs on the ground.
by Skip Snow
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