ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Friday's Senior Night under the lights opened with an electric atmosphere -- with a lightning display provided by mother nature -- and a lengthy delay before things could get underway against Westlake stand-in Glenville. It ended abruptly on a thunderbolt, a strong 7-yard touchdown run by Tarblooder running back D'Shawntae Jones, ending an overtime session with the final score: Glenville 20, Rocky River 17.
Jones' powerful, tackle-breaking romp to paydirt trumped a 40-yard Mack Massad field goal earlier in the overtime and vaulted the Tarblooders (5-3) to the win. The touchdown marked the fifth-and-final lead change or tie in an entertaining, see-saw, non-conference battle at Rocky River Stadium. A fine result for a match-up created on fly after the scheduled Rocky River-Westlake game was nixed due to COVID-19 protocols in place for Westlake. But perhaps a frustrating one for a Pirates team which was undone by numerous penalties -- and untimely ones -- on both sides of the ball.
The Pirates (5-3) -- a team that went into Friday's 90-minute-weather-delayed on a three-game winning streak -- were held to a 9-of-23 performance in the pass game. And a strong River ground game was held to a season-low 140 yards. So, credit Glenville's defense for solid work on a soggy night. And credit the Pirate defense -- which got stops on six consecutive Tarblooder possessions in one stretch -- for standing its ground as well.
And all that being noted: credit both offenses for sustained, hard-nosed efforts throughout. Every yard was tough sledding.
Glenville opened the game with an eight-play, 41-yard touchdown drive. A 1-yard TD run by Jones marked the opening salvo in the scoreboard battle.
Rocky River amassed just 23 yards over 11 plays across its first two drives of the evening. River's third drive was an 11-play march that resulted in a missed field-goal attempt. Drive No. 4, though, resulted in points when Braedon Spies scored his eighth TD of the season on a 7-yard run. The well-blocked play included a fine bit of ball-handling and slight-of-hand: Spies faked a handoff on an option and found a seam up the middle. The senior signal caller has now scored a rushing TD in seven of Rocky River's eight games this fall.
The Pirates went into halftime leading, 7-6.
The Detroit Road Buccaneers got a lift from their defense in the third. River's third-quarter defense saw an interception by senior Patrick Lange, and fine plays turned in by seniors Tommy Bebie, Jackson Hermann, and Kai Delventhal, juniors Johnny Bebie and Evan Merk, and sophomores Trent Delventhal and Owen Kleckner. It all spelled the Pirates putting the Tarblooders a bit on their heels. The Double-R offense capitalized with a touchdown drive late in the third quarter. A 7-yard, play-action pass from Spies to junior tight end Stan Heuler lifted the Pirates to a 14-6 lead.
But Glenville found some traction in its running game in the fourth quarter. A mid-fourth quarter march down the field resulted in a 14-yard discovery of painted turf by Da'Shaun Whatley who had done the lion's share of work in getting the pigskin into Pirate territory. Whatley's rushing touchdown -- followed by a successful 2-point conversion on a pass -- knotted the affair at 14-14 at the 5:45-mark of the fourth.
A combined 22 defenders and the unavoidable gravity of a ticking clock worked against both offenses the rest of the way, and the game went into overtime.
The Massad-Jones kick-and-run exchange ensued, and in overtime, the Pirates were sent to their first loss since Sept. 10.
Spies finished the game with 92 passing yards and 52 rushing yards. Tommy Bebie had 72 rushing yards and 48 yards on four catches. Thirty of those 48 receiving yards came on a well-constructed and superbly blocked screen pass which helped set up the Stan Heuler touchdown.
In the end, solid efforts all-around by the Men in Maroon. Most especially by the Class-of-'22 members of Rocky River Football, potentially wearing their Maroon & White colors in their final game at the Gridiron in the Heart of River. But perhaps a bit too much yellow laundry got in the mix.
CANNON FIRE ...
CLUTCH D: The Glenville and River offenses were held to a combined 7-of-21 mark in converting on third-down opportunities. Rocky River went a combined 4-of-13 on third and fourth downs.
VETERAN VANGUARD: Fifteen Pirate seniors were saluted in a pregame introduction. The Pirate grey-beards: Tommy Bebie, Aidan Coyne, Kai Delventhal, Jacob Gura, Will Hanzel, Jackson Herrmann, Patrick Lange, Jake Leamon, Caleb Miller
John Sadiku, Charlie Sobol, Michael Somers, Braedon Spies, Dominic Toledo, and Tommy Vacca.
ON DECK: Rocky River is scheduled to play at North Olmsted on Friday, Oct. 15. The Eagles are 6-2 on the season and 3-1 in Great Lakes Conference West Division play. They had a five-game win streak snapped with a 30-24 loss to Elyria Catholic Friday. Kickoff in the GLC West clash is slated for 7 p.m. A River triumph would clinch the 2021 GLC West Division crown for the Pirates.
by Skip Snow
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