×

River, Shadyside set to battle in Week 6 showdown

HANNIBAL – According to the calendar this is only week six of high school football in Ohio in any normal year. But we all know there is absolutely nothing normal about this year, so when arch-rivals Shadyside (2-3) and River (4-1) meet Friday night on the turf at Martin Flannery Field there will be plenty of pride on the line for the backyard rivals, but not much else.

Like every other team that has chosen to opt into the Ohio football playoffs this season, both Coach Mark Holenka’s Tigers and Mike Flannery’s Pilots will already know the playoff bracket for Division VII, Region 27 when Friday night rolls around. Coaches voted on playoff seeding on Tuesday and Wednesday with first round playoff pairings, and brackets, released on Thursday.

For River there is the matter of trying to move closer to the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class 2A championship.

“Our kids have answered all the calls so far and hopefully we can get one of those top eight seeds in the playoffs, get a bye week and rest up and get ready for what’s ahead,” Flannery commented. “It’s been a really strange the entire season, but we have tried to adapt. Honestly, I wasn’t sure we were going to make it this far, but we are at a point now where everything seems to point to playing through with no stopping now.”

Shadyside picked up a much-needed win last Saturday afternoon against West Virginia Class A power East Hardy, 21-7, at Fleming Field, in a game in which Holenka picked up his 100th victory as head coach at his alma mater. Meanwhile, the Pilots, who have won four straight since a season-opening loss at Bellaire, were every bit as impressive with a 27-0 blanking of visiting Barnesville a night earlier.

“East Hardy controlled the football on us early, but our defense was able to bend not break and then everything started coming together,” Holenka admitted. “We were a little concerned about them going up a couple scores on us, but the kids held them at bay on defense and everyone started playing to their abilities.

“Our offensive line did a good job blocking and Wyatt (Reiman) was able to run the football. I felt like we played with more emotion, which led to solid football.”

The Tigers’ three losses have come by one score each to Martins Ferry and Bellaire and to three-time defending W.Va. Class A state champion Wheeling Central. Shadyside was finally able to get Reiman, an All-Ohio running back last year as a sophomore, going against the Cougars with a 21 carry, 212-yard, three touchdown performance on offense. Reiman also booted a crucial field goal and forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

With the rushing attack churning up yardage junior quarterback Rhys Francis, who split time with senior Jacob Visnic in the second half, were not needed as Shadyside threw for just 45 total yards in the contest. When the passing attack is working Mason Vannest has turned into a go-to receiver for the Tigers.

Defensively, Shadyside limited East Hardy to just 229 total yards of offense and just 61 yards on the ground. Most of the Cougars yardage came on a few big passes.

“Shadyside is a very well coached team with a lot of athletic kids, but we have some pretty nice athletes of our own and that is part of what makes this such a nice rivalry,” Flannery added.”

River’s defense was just as impressive, allowing the Shamrocks just 170 total yards and only 73 on the ground. During the Pilots four-game winning streak they have outscored their opponents by an average of 36-9 a game.

Sophomore quarterback Brody Lollathin had a nice night, completing 7 of 12 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns with junior Austin Creamer catching a 55-yard scoring strike and Jake Rose finishing with five grabs for 49 yards and a score. Senior Michael Johnson had only two carries for 62 yards, but one of those was a 58-yard scoring burst. Lollathin also got away for a 29-yard touchdown scamper as the Pilots finished with 262 yards of offense.

“River has a very balanced offense, a nice defense and a lot of team speed,” Holenka added. “They are also a very well coached team and one that presents a load of problems.”

River is currently one of eight teams in Region 27 with at least four wins.

“We have several kids on offense that can really get us going, but if for some reason one of them isn’t clicking we normally have another kid step in and pick him up,” Flannery continued. “As Coach Potts used to tell me, “keep a lot of different weapons in the drawer and make sure they are all sharp”.

“I am also very proud of how our defense has been playing, and how they played last week and that is a big compliment to Coach (Eric) James and the job he does. We want to be able to go out on that field and play intense, physical football.”

Since 2000 the series has been one dominated by Shadyside, which has won 11 of the 12 games, including a pair of playoff battles. There was a 10-year break in the regular season series from 2006-2015. The Tigers have won the last three years, scoring at least 39 points each time, while the Pilots’ last win in the series was a 39-7 victory in 2016.

“With the seeding already going to be decided this actually is the least important game we will play this season as far as playoffs go,” Holenka commented. “But make no mistakes this is a rivalry game and we are playing for pride, community and tradition. It’s always a fun game, but it will get a whole lot bigger if we get to do it again in the playoffs.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today