Total team effort leads Leechburg to a 71-8 win over Riverview @lasd_athletics @RvRaidersFB

Tagged under: District 7, Game Photos, Gameday Hub, News

David Burnworth | October 17, 2021

Saturday afternoon I made my way from Pittsburgh, where my hotel was located to Oakmont so that I could watch the battle between visiting Leechburg and the home team Riverview. Riverview came in supporting a 1-5 record, while Leechburg came in 5-2 but more importantly, a win for Blue Devils would clinch their first winning season in three decades. As I watched the teams warm up I sensed a seriousness from the Blue Devils but they did not seem nervous or tight. For Riverview, they seemed loose and confident especially a couple of their bigger players.

Jayden Floyd would catch a pass and pick up thirty yards. The pass by Thomas Burke III was pretty well thrown even in the slightly poor weather conditions. On the fifth play of the drive Braylan (Mr. Excitement) Lovelace goes thirty-one yards for the game’s first score. The only kicker on the roster I have is Ryan Shaw but I was informed he was not the kicker in this one, the kicker in this one had number 89 and his name is Jake Schuffert and his kick would be good to make this a 7-0 game.

The Blue Devils defense quickly forced the Raiders into a punting situation where the punt was fielded by Logan Kline and after a move and a look downfield he worked his way into the end zone to make this a 14-0 game. At this point of the game, one could sense that this one was going to get ugly, how ugly was the question.

Tyler Foley would haul in a thirty-six-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Burke III. Burke only threw five passes all day but he threw for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He had all day to throw the ball thanks to his offensive line looking like the old Oakland Raiders dominating line from the very early seventies. They were even better when run blocking on this day. This gave us a 21-0 game, with 6:58 still left in the opening quarter.

Burke found 6-5, Eli Rich, for a forty-yard touchdown pass at the 2:43 mark of the quarter to make this a 28-0 game. The drive took all of five plays and went for a total of sixty-one yards. I think with the way Burke threw the ball and with the work of the offensive line, Rich could have had a record-setting day had it been needed. Burke would make the last big play of the quarter but not from his tightened slot, this time he did it on the other side of the ball with a sack of Ben Hower. Hower is listed as wearing number 15 on my roster but today he wore number two.

Just nine seconds into the second quarter Lovelace raced to a twenty-five-yard gain. His speed made him different than any player on the Raiders defense but what was more impressive to me was his apparent field vision and his ability to wait for his linemen to do their job before turning on his blazing speed. Burk would end the four-play, fifty-two-yard drive with a twelve-yard touchdown run giving the Blue Devils the 35-0 lead.

Michael Lewis, who had no time to get on a roll due to the dominating play of the Blue Devils defense would be hit for a two-yard loss by Jacob Reinke. Later on the Raider drive, Hower would be picked off by Rich putting the explosive Blue Devil offense back on the field. Three plays later we had a 42-0 game with Burke waltzing in from two yards out.

The highlight for the Blue Devils defense on the next Raider drive was Reinke getting to Lewis for a short loss. After getting back onto the field Lovelace used all of his skills to easily blast off for a forty-two-yard score to make this a 49-0 game, with 5;44 left in the half.

A pick-six from Tyler Villa from close to thirty-five yards out made this a 56-0 game, then Brandin Gilmer scored on a nice run to make this a 63-0 game, with a little under two minutes left in the half. Riverview used a long run of nearly seventy yards to set up a fifteen-yard touchdown pass from Hower to Jack Loughren. Loughren is listed as number thirteen on the roster but wore number four in this one. A two-point conversion pass was completed making this a 63-8 game, which would be our halftime score too.

Jason Floyd got to Lewis for a short loss early in the third quarter to keep the early success going for the Blue Devils defense. When the offense took the field Lovelace would have had a thirty-five-yard touchdown but a flag thrown on the play took the score off of the board. I am guessing that this one has close to twenty flags thrown before the ref’s arms got tired. Lovelace showed he was a human and not a machine when he fumbled the ball. The Raiders Justin Hart Brown made the recovery. He is listed as wearing number eighty-five on the online roster I have but in this one, he wore sixty-five.

Lewis was hot for a short loss by Rich on the ensuing drive. Lewis took a pounding in this one but still found a way to have a couple of solid runs in this one. He was injured once and came back in even though the game was already decided. You have to love the grit this kid showed in this one.

Lovelace raced to a twenty-one-yard score with the point after making this a 71-8 game. with 1:03 left in the third. In the final frame, there was no scoring but Leechburg still had one good play on each side of the ball. First, Jayden Floyd got a tackle for loss, and then on fourth and five Burke ran for twenty yards.

Unofficial stats

Blue Devils

38 Plays

369 Yards

Passing 3-5 2 TD’S

Raiders

43 Plays

107 Yards

Passing 2-10 1 TD 2 INT’S

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