“Hit Man” Holzman Too Much For Vikes, Old Forge rolls over Riverside

Tagged under: District 2, Gameday Hub, News

PFN Staff | October 3, 2020

Casey Holzman,Colin Holzman and Cyllel Rose poses with the Friday Night Rivals Plaque

The Old Forge Blue Devils routed the Riverside Vikings 43-12 Friday night at Old Forge Memorial Stadium.  Senior running back Collin  “Hit Man” Holzman  stacked up 154 yards in 10 carriers and scored 1 touchdown in the crosstown rivalry. Only 2 minutes into  the first quarter Holzman struck early  with a run that set the stage for a long night for Coach  Harry Armstrong and his courageous, but outclassed Vikings.

The Vikings took the opening kickoff in poor position. Seasoned quarterback Johnny Gilchrist, who finish with 2 TD passes and 275 yards, wasted no time in trying to establish a passing game, but found his team punting after three downs.  The Blue Devils  demonstrated quickly why they are the second rank 1-A school in the state.  Starting on the Viking  47,  Holzman broke tackle on a 45-yard run and iced the caked with a two-yard  run into the end zone.  Keegan Barbetti’s extra point was good and the Devils took the lead 7-0  with 9:48 remaining in the first quarter.

Colin holzman leads the devils down the field and the junior number 32 Hezekiah dietz finishes with a touchdown extra point is good 14-0 old forge @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/aH5P53Ku2d

— district 2 football news (@district2footb1) October 2, 2020

The Vikings took the kickoff, but could not sustain a drive and had to punt. On the first play after the kickoff,  Holzman once again broke tackle and sprinted 46 yards to the Viking ten-yard line. Two plays later Hezekiah Deitz found the end zone on a 7-yard run. The extra point was good, increasing Old Forge’s  lead 14-0.  One sensed a rout was in the making.  However, Riverside bounced right back after the kickoff  when Gilchrist hit his fellow senior Joshua Godlewski for a 40 yard score. The extra point was blocked.   Riverside narrowed the lead  to 14-6.

But the Vikings hopes of making this a tight game was short-lived when  sophomore Casey Holzman ( brother of the “Hit Man”) ran back the kickoff for 87 yards and another Old Forge TD.  Coach Schuback used magician like tricky for a two point conversion when his team lined up in extra point formation and ran a wildcat play when Digregoiro hit the sophomore Josh Spindler for the 2 point conversion furthering Old Forge lead 22 to 6  with  only seconds left  in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, first time starter sophomore  QB James Sobol ran 25 yards for Old Forge’s fourth score. The extra was point good.  After an  exchange of possessions Old Forge went into the locker with solid 29-6 lead

Sobol shined in the third and fourth quarters throwing for two touchdown passes. One to Michael Digregorio from 8 yards out and another to Zack Weaver from 30 yards out. Riverside would salvage one final score in late in the fourth quarter when Gilchrist hit Michael Rickert for 25 yards  to lessen the sting in Old Forge’s dominating debut.

Old Forge 1-0 plays Holy Cross(0-1) next week in Dunmore. Riverside travels to North Pocono(1-0).

Old Forge 43, Riverside 12

Riverside 6 0 0 6 – 12

Old Forge 22 7 14 0 – 43

First Quarter

OF – Colin Holzman 2 run (Keegan Barbetti kick), 10:18

OF – Hezekiah Deitz 7 run (Barbetti kick), 5:08

RV – Joshua Godlewski 40 pass from Johnny Gilchrist (kick blocked), 4:07

OF – Casey Holzman 87 yard kickoff return (Michael DiGregorio pass to Josh Spindler), 3:53

Second Quarter

OF – James Sobol 25 run (Barbetti kick), 4:50

Third Quarter

OF – DiGregorio 8 pass from Sobol (Barbetti kick), 5:22

OF – Zack Weaver 30 pass from Sobol (Barbetti kick), 0:27

Fourth Quarter

RV – Michael Rickert 25 pass from Gilchrist (pass failed), 7:43

Team Statistics

Riverside Old Forge

First Downs 13 14

Rushes-Yards 13-(-29) 37-283

Comp-Att-Int 23-40-1 5-9-0

Passing 275 45

Total Yards 246 328

Fumbles-Lost 3-1 2-1

Punts-Average 5-22.2 2-33.5

Penalties-Yards 13-72 6-70

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: RV – Noah Parchinski 3-9, Johnny Gilchrist 10-(-38). OF – Colin Holzman 10-154, David Dando 7-40, Hezekiah Deitz 9-36, Josh Spindler 4-20, James Sobol 5-32, John Greenfield 1-3, Team 1-(-2).

PASSING: RV – Johnny Gilchrist 23-40-1, 275 yards. OF – James Sobol 4-4-0, 48 yards; Dante Lucarelli 1-5-0, -3 yards.

RECEIVING: RV – Noah Parchinski 9-65, Michael Rickert 6-66, Joshua Godlewski 3-43, James Garvey 3-14, Reese Gaughan 2-87. OF – Michael DiGregorio 3-2, Zack Weaver 2-43.

INTERCEPTIONS: OF – Colin Holzman 1

MISSED FIELD GOALS: none

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