Battling to the end to avoid a shutout, the Rockbridge County High School football team fell to Riverheads 41-6 in the Wildcats’ homecoming game on Friday night at Prasnicki-Ross Field at Veterans Stadium in Lexington.
As the clock expired, RC senior running back Andrew Kelly ran for a 4-yard touchdown to get some points on the scoreboard for the Wildcats (0-8 overall, 0-6 district). The Wildcats set up the TD run on the previous play when freshman quarterback Taylan Tyree made a 34-yard pass to senior wide receiver Aiden Meyers.
For the night, Kelly rushed for 70 yards on 16 carries and also got the Wildcats in good field position with his kick returns. Defensively, Kelly forced the Gladiators’ only turnover, intercepting Riverheads quarterback Kendal Edwards early in the second half.
Earlier in the game, Riverheads (4-3, 3-2) scored on its first drive, with Jackson Fitzgerald making a 17-yard TD run. An extra-point kick by Bryan Lopez-Rojas put the Gladiators up 7-0 just under four minutes into the game.
The Wildcats got into Riverheads territory in the first quarter, but the Gladiators got the ball back and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Edwards with 8:42 left in the first half, and another PAT by Lopez-Rojas extended the Gladiators’ lead to 14-0. Riverheads scored again when Rylan Payne made a 2-yard run to the end zone, and the PAT by Lopez-Rojas stretched the Riverheads lead to 21-0 with 2:07 left in the first half.
During the halftime ceremony, RC’s homecoming court was introduced, and Caleb Robinson, a senior lineman for the Wildcats, was named homecoming king. Senior Mackenzie McCormick, who plays volleyball for the Wildcats, was crowned as queen.
Although Kelly’s interception in the third quarter didn’t lead to a Wildcat score, it delayed Riverheads from building up its lead. However, the Gladiators scored again when Fitzgerald made a 22-yard TD run to make it 27-0 with 4:57 left in the quarter.
On the ensuing drive, Skyler Shiflett intercepted Tyree and ran the ball back to the RC 17-yard line. Several players later, Shiflett scored on a 3-yard TD run, and a PAT by Jonah Williams stretched the Gladiators’ lead to 34-0.
Riverheads scored once more, on a 43-yard TD run by Spencer Simpson, and Williams converted the PAT to make it 41-0 with 7:15 left in the game.
The home team wasn’t done fighting, though, making a series of passes and runs to set up Kelly’s TD.
The Wildcats will continue district action next Friday when they play at Fort Defiance (3-4, 2-3) at 7 p.m.
For the full story, photos and stats, with a prediction for next week, please see our Oct. 22 newspaper.
