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Rivercrest’s Zane Dees turns upfield after taking a handoff during a recent game. Dees ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns, had 25 yards receiving and finished with seven tackles and an interception. The Rebels picked off three passes on the night in the 22-20 win. TRIBUNE PHOTO / QUINTEN BOYD
Friday, the Rivercrest Rebels were looking for a win against the team that knocked them out of playoff contention last season in order to give them the inside track on a playoff berth out of District 9-2A Division I.
It was a tight affair and wasn’t particularly pretty, but it was an effective night for the Rebels. Rivercrest finished with 325 yards of total offense in a 22-20 win at Alba-Golden.
The two teams played on even terms in the first half, but Rivercrest outscored the Panthers in the second half, 9-7, to pick up the win. The Rebel defense stepped up with three interceptions on the night to help Rivercrest hold off the Panthers.
The teams were tied at halftime, 1313, with Alba striking first and Rivercrest answering with a touchdown run by Zane Dees. Alba scored again in the second quarter, but Rivercrest tied the game just before halftime thanks to a 35yard touchdown run by JaQuan Brown.
Dees added a second touchdown in the third quarter and Connor Young allowed Rivercrest’s lead to stand up with a fourth quarter field goal while the Rebel defense closed the show to keep the Panthers from catching up.
Dees finished with 80 yards rushing and two touchdowns, 25 yards receiving and also added seven tackles and an interception on defense. Brown added 39 yards rushing and a touchdown. Chase Duffer went 14-27 passing for 203 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Mark Grider ended up with 59 yards receiving, Connor Herring notched 49 yards, Ethan Taylor had 41 yards receiving and Young had 29 yards through the air.
Defensively for the Rebels, Taylor had 12 tackles. Noah Altal finished with nine tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, two tackles for loss and two batted passes. Brown had six stops and Chance Duffer had 4.5 stops. Herring and Grider both picked off passes. Dalton Lovett added five tackles and Aaron Raulston finished with three tackles. Gus Johnson notched three stops, Labrodrick Rosser added two tackles and Kaden Kelsoe, Cason Fields and Joe Valdez all added tackles.
The Rebels have their bye week this Friday and will return to action next week on the road at Quinlan Boles. Wolfe City can help Rivercrest’s cause as the Wolves host Boles this Friday. A win by Wolfe City will give Rivercrest a two-game lead over Boles in the district standings and a win at Boles next week will sew up a playoff spot for the Rebels. Going into this week, Cooper and Honey Grove are tied for first in the district standings. Wolfe City is third and Rivercrest is fourth.
Also in district action this week, Honey Grove travels to Cooper and Como- Pickton hosts Alba-Golden.