PIAA State Class 2A Semifinal preview: Troy vs. Riverside
Tagged under: District 2, District 4, pfn, Playoffs
Jared Samuel | November 27, 2024
It’s State Semifinal time, and both of these squads have endured a lot to get to this point. Let’s take a look at both teams heading into this huge game!
Riverside (13-1)
PFN State Class 2A #4 ranked
The Vikings are coming off a huge win against Williams Valley. Head Coach Harry Armstrong said that if his team scored 21 points in the State quarterfinal that they could get the win….and they did just that and more! Senior QB Chase Taddonio has been clutch in the playoffs, and against Williams Valley he ran for a TD and threw for 3 more. WR’s JJ Rogers and Jared Jackson, along with TE Richie Kostoff, have come up big in the last few weeks for the Vikings. The real story for Riverside though has been the defense. The Viking defensive unit forced 3 fumbles and grabbed an interception in the 1st half against Williams Valley which was the key to their win. They will need to continue to play at a high level to have a shot against a stout Trojan offense. DL Tavian Branch, who has more than a dozen D1 offers already as a Junior, anchors a tough defensive line and Kostoff is a menace at LB.
Troy (14-0)
PFN State Class 2A #1 ranked
Head Coach Jim Smith has the Trojans running roughshod over the competition right now. “We’ve had our sights set” said Smith, and that’s an understatement. Senior QB Evan Woodward has had a solid year, throwing for 1,597 yards and 20 TD’s and rushing for 803 yards and 11 TD’s. Junior RB Brendan Gilliland rushed for 1,246 yards and 23 TD’s. Senior Receiver Lincoln Chimics added 31 receptions for 788 yards and 10 TD’s. The Trojan defense has only given up an average of just over 12 points per game. Troy took care of business last week against Bedford with a 42-16 win.
Outlook:
Troy has dominated their regular season, and they are operating at a very high level right now. The Trojans are stout in all facets of the game, and Riverside is going to have their hands full. The key for the Vikings will be to create turnovers like they have done against Lancaster Catholic and Williams Valley, and if they are able to be opportunistic against Troy then it could be a really close game. The winner gets to play for the 2A State Championship next Friday afternoon at the Chap!
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
