Riverside slips by Summerland in a Week Zero Dazzler

Riverside Tight End Klay Kleffner (left/white jersey) catches this touchdown pass after a gallant deflection attempt by Summerland's Michael Koening (right/black jersey/leaping). Riverside goes on to win this Week Zero matchup 27-26.

SPALDING, NE (Friday, August 19, 2022)

The football gods provided the perfect late August setting for a 2022 Season Opener for a pair of D-1, Eight-Man football upper tier programs.

Riverside and Summerland went back and forth in a see-saw battle before Riverside finally held off a late driving Sumnmerland offense for a nail-biting 27-26 win.

It was none other than 135 pound Riverside sophomore Nicholas Berger who saved the day. The spirited Berger pirated Summerland quarterback Jaykwon Pettite’s home run pass attempt at the Chargers’ 2 yard line with 1:40 left in regulation, sealing the win for the Chargers.

Young Berger had been waiting for his shot to play hero, defending well for most of the tightly contested battle. When the opportunity presented itself, Nicholas stole victory away from the outstretched hands of a Bobcat receiver.

It looked like a late season playoff atmosphere in Spalding Friday night, as fans nearly circled the entire football field. The grass surface, in pristine condition (as usual) provided a fast track for Summerland's two-time 1000 yard rusher, Trevor Thomson.

The 175 pound dazzler, who had 3,087 career rushing yards entering the contest, was as good as advertised, dancing his way to 172 yards on 21 carries and two sparkling long distance touchdown sprints, both coming in the 2nd quarter.

Riverside, who entered the game missing 3 key players, one of whom was track star/wide receiver Carson Bloom, dug into their deep roster for some capable back-ups, who came and did a stellar job against a very talented Summerland team.

The two teams traded defensive punches in the 1st stanza, battling to a scoreless tie. But it took Trevor Thomson just 15 seconds into the second quarter to take a direct snap and outrun the Riverside defense for a sparkling 48 yard touchdown sprint.

Now understand this. If you think back to May of this current year, you may recall that Riverside had a pair of its sprinters, the aforementioned Carson Bloom, and sophomore speed merchant Jack Molt, BOTH placing in the 200 Meter Dash Finals (Bloom also grabbed a 6th in the 100).

That usually pretty much eliminates any running back from breaking the long one against the Chargers speedy defense……except in this case.

You see, while Bloom and Molt were showing off their sprinting skills, Summerland’s Trevor Thomson was topping their performances with a 4th place finish in the Class C hundred (:11.18) and a 6th in the 2oo finals (:22.67).

The 48 yard TD sprint by Thomson makes perfect sense now, right?

No worries for Riverside fans though, as 150 pound Drew Carraher made certain Summerland knew his team could answer back in a hurry. And did they ever.

One play after the first Thomson touchdown, Riverside was flagged for a holding call, which set the Chargers back 10 yards to their own 20 yard line. No sweat bro. The ice water veined Carraher took a few steps back and found a streaking Klay Kleffner down the right side for a 39 yard gain to the Summerland 21.

A fired up Andrew Krick, a 150 pound senior RB, then ripped off a 13 yard gain to the 8, then went into the end zone standing up on the very next play.

Riverside had answered Trevor Thomson’s touchdown in a blink-of-an-eye, 3 play/60 yard scoring drive that used up only 43 seconds off the clock.

With the game knotted at 6 apiece, just 58 seconds into the 2nd quarter, Thomson again escaped for a long scoring jaunt, this one covering 45 yards. Rugged 185 pound senior back Kendrick Schroeder added the double PAT with a run, and Summerland was on again on top, 14-6 with 7:45 left in the half.

Summerland was putting together another scoring drive when tough-as-nails Riverside sophomore Dane Schalk stripped the ball from a Bobcat runner, then recovered the fumble, halting the drive on the Charger 25 yard line.

It took Riverside just 5 plays and 55 yards to convert the Summerland turnover into 6 points. QB Drew Carraher toted the ball the final 17 yards for the go-ahead 20-14 score with 52 ticks left in the opening half.

And, that’s how the first half would end……Hold on, that is not what happened..

Slick Sumerland quarterback Jaykwon Pettite engineered a lightning quick 4 play scoring drive, hitting splendid sophomore Alec Schindler with a 50 yard crossing pattern touchdown strike. Riverside’s Jack Molt seemed to have an angle on Schindler, but the slippery sophomore dove for the end zone and landed with a score with NO TIME showing on the clock.

The PAT run failed and were right back where we started with the two teams even, all tied up with 20 apiece.

There had to be some talk about defense by both coaches after the 20 point explosions because the 3rd quarter was a mirror image of the first, except for the fact Summerland’s Trevor Thomson left the game with a gimpy right knee that still concerns me a little despite the fact he returned and played very well on both sides of the ball.

The defensive battle that was the 3rd quarter carried over into the 4th stanza. However, with the stout Riverside defense preparing for either a Thomson run or a Jaykwon Pettite pass play, appeared to be caught off guard when big Kendrick Schroeder took a reverse handoff from the right side with the ball spotted at the Bobcat 20 yard line

It was nothing but clear sailing for the 185 pound specimen, who rambled for a 44 yard gain down the Summerland sidelines. The senior stud was finally dragged down at the Riverside 16.

Five plays later, Summerland’s back-up quarterback Michael Koenig, blasted in for a 2 yard touchdown with 4:54 remaining in the contest. The all-important PAT pass was well-covered and negated by the Chargers, leaving Summerland with a 26-20 lead.

Before we proceed, I want you to consider a couple of things.

Most of you know that Riverside, who is a mix of Cedar Rapids and Spalding High athletes, inherited 5 players from a Spalding Academy team that made it to the 6-Man state football semifinals a year ago.

Since the Academy could not field a team in 2022, the 5 players AND future Hall of Fame head Coach Troy Kleffner decided to join forces with Riverside.

Also remember this. Riverside head coach Corey Valasek is a former Spalding Academy player who was COACHED by none other than Troy Kleffner.

Now, Summerland’s head man, Tom Thramer and a familiar assistant on his staff named Brett Kazcor, had just come up with that slick reverse play.

Before the ensuing kick-off, I noticed something was cooking on the Riverside sidelines when Valasek, Kleffner and company huddled together.

The scoreboard clock showed 4:54 when Riverside began their crucial drive. Some tough running by Jack Molt and Andrew Krick advanced the ball to the Riverside 39 yard line. Facing a 3rd and 1, the Chargers pulled off a stunner of a play.

Knowing that the Summerland defense would be keeping a close watch on former Spalding Academy tight end Klay Kleffner, sent the Riverside stud down the right sidelines, freeing up a streaking Luke Schmeits to run a crossing route.

Schmeits was all by his lonesome when Drew Carraher nailed the 150 pound junior for a spectacular 41 yard touchdown strike.

Riverside still had to make the PAT to gain the lead with the score knotted at 26.

The PAT attempt was a no-brainer for Cory Valasek, whose team had gone for the 2 point attempt following the Chargers' previous three scores…..Send in senior Izak Leslie, a 6-Man All-State kicker for Spalding Academy a year ago.

Leslie booted the PAT with ease, giving the Chargers the 27-26 advantage with 3:05 left in the game.

With exactly 3 minutes showing on the 4th quarter clock, Summerland went to work from their own 23 yard line. The Bobcats moveed the ball well and decided to go for the bomb after quarterback Pettite reeled off an 11 yard gain to the Summerland 35.

With 1:51 left, Bobcat quarterback Michael Koenig took the direct snap, rolled right and unleashed a long aerial, aiming for the left pylon, but Riverside’s Nicholas Berger arrived first and picked off the pass to thwart the possible winning drive.

Riverside would then run out the remaining 1:17 to secure the Week Zero win over a fine Summerland squad.

Riverside’s rushing attack was led by sophomore quarterback Drew Carraher, who ran for 82 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. Andrew Krick wasn’t far off

Carraher’s pace, rushing for 77 yards on 14 totes and a TD. Jack Molt added 48 yards on 14 carries.

Carraher was also 5 of 13 passing for 116 yards and 2 scores with Klay Kleffner leading the receiving corps with 3 receptions, good for 63 yards and a TD.

Riverside’s defense was led by Luke Leslie, who logged 11 tackles. Both Klayton Kleffner and Jack Molt added 10 stops each, Nicholas Berger of course, had the timely interception and tough guy Dane Schalk stripped a ball and recovered a fumble for the Chargers.

According to Summerland’s MaxPreps page, it was All-State candidate Trevor Thomson leading all rushers with 189 yards on 22 carries, Tough running Kendrick Schroeder added 85 on 12 touches followed by QB Jaykwon Pettite, who had 62 yards rushing on just 8 carries.

Pettite was also 7-10 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Alec Schindler led all Summerland receivers with 3 catches for 66 yards and a TD.

Next Friday, 1-0 Riverside will travel to Omaha World-Herald Pre-Season #4 Stanton, while Summerland returns home to face OWH Pre-Season #8 Crofton.

……………………….......1……..2……..3……..4……..Final

Summerland (0-1)....0…….20…….0……..6……….26

Riverside (1-0)..........0…….20…….0……..7……….27

2nd Qtr………………………………………………………………………........... Sum-Riv

Sum-Trevor Thomson 48 run…………………………PAT-failed…………6……0

Riv-Andrew Krick 7 run……………………………….. PAT-failed……….. 6……6

Sum-Trevor Thomson 45 run…………………………PAT-Pettite run…14…..6

Riv-Klay Kleffner 9 pass from Drew Carraher....PAT-failed…………14….12

Riv-Carraher 17 run…………………………………......PAT-Jack Molt run..14…20

Sum-Alec Schindler 52 pass from Jaykwon Pettite..PAT-failed………20..20

4th Qtr.

Sum-Michael Koenig 2 run……………………………...PAT-failed………….20..20

Riv-Luke Schmeits 41 pass from Drew Carraher...PAT-failed………….26..27

Team Stats………..Rushing, Passing, Total

Riverside………………116…………207……323

Summerland…………307………….91……368