Riverview runs its game plan at a sharp Pace

SARASOTA – John Sprague loves it when a plan comes together, and rarely has one been executed so perfectly as the way his Riverview football team came together Friday night.

The Rams went into their game against Miami Monsignor Pace hoping to short-circuit the Spartans' big-play capability by running the football and playing great defense.

Mission accomplished.

The Rams ran the football 56 times for 252 yards, and the defense didn't allow the Spartans to get into any rhythm in pitching a shutout in Riverview's 35-0 dismantling of a team built for speed and big plays

"That is about as good as we can play," Sprague said after the Rams blew the game open with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Spartans began to lose their composure. "It is not a track meet. It is a football game. That was the deal.

"Our kids lined up and put it right down their throats. And the defense played lights-out. That is about as good as we can do on both sides of the football."

The Rams leaned on Andre Booker, and the Riverview running back responded with 158 yards on 29 carries and three touchdowns. Carry after carry, Booker broke tackles and found holes in the defense to pick up valuable yardage.

"How about some of those runs?" Sprague said. "And what a job (Jon) Evans did."

Evans gave Booker breathers and finished with 63 yards on 12 carries.

But it was Booker who broke Pace. He had TD runs of 3, 6 and 11 yards and had a 98-yard run called back when an official ruled he stepped out of bounds.

"They are fast but Coach (Anderson) told me to stay strong," Booker said. "They may be faster but I am bigger. Once my number was called, I kept going. I wasn't tired. I am now."

Booker said he played the game for his uncle, Erin Clark Snipes, who passed away earlier in the week. "And for my team," he added. "I am tired, but happy."

So were the rest of the Rams, particularly the defense. A year ago, Pace hit several big plays to beat Riverview 37-10. Sterling Griffin had three long TDs. Friday, Griffin didn't score and the game ended with Ronnie Hardison putting a crushing hit on Griffin on Pace's final pass play.

The Rams, now 3-2, also got TD runs by Ronnie Bright in the first quarter and Hardison to round out the scoring.

The Riverview defense limited Pace to 150 total yards to frustrate the Spartans, who finished with 105 yards in penalties and had a player ejected late in the game.

Pace players gave the Rams all the inspiration they needed when they came out for warmups and gathered at midfield to jump up and down on the Riverview Ram logo.

They left, for the long trip home, a beaten team, with a record of 3-2.

The Rams got the only first-halfscore when they took over on their own 47-yard line on their second possession of the game and went 53 yards in six plays. Booker carried four times for 38 yards and Bright got the score on an 8-yard burst up the middle.

The Ram defense was able to stop Pace from striking on any big scoring plays and rose up to end the one major threat in the first half by the Spartans.

Taking over at the Riverview 33 after a 13-yard punt, the Spartans immediately got into scoring position on a 28-yard run by Ronnie Dickens. Pace had a first down at the Ram 5, but the defense held on four downs to take over on their own 1-yard line. After Bright carried for 1 yard, Booker appeared to score on a 98-yard run, but officials ruled he stepped out on the Riverview 31-yard line after a 29-yard run.