By Conner Orr

The game started out slow for River and they trailed 27-3 at halftime. However, they scored a touchdown early on in the half, making the score 30-10, and had possession around midfield with a little under half of the third quarter left. After not picking up the third down, they punted on fourth and short. After that, River did not generate much and lost 40-10. After the game, put shortly, the atmosphere was negative.

This season, when things are going right, the atmosphere is immaculate. However, after losses, there tends to be a lack of accountability from the coaches and players. This disconnect is concerning considering the potential that this team has this year. To turn this around, the team may need to prioritize team camaraderie to ensure that it can move past this loss.

Another area that could be improved is the trust in the passing game. River is a run-first team and runs to set up play action; however, they rarely pass the ball. The pass game has not been the team’s strong suit, but giving Pearson the opportunity to pass the ball more will enhance his and the team’s confidence in the pass game, which could open up the run even more.

Lastly, the ability to make coaching adjustments on the fly needs to be a point of emphasis in the coming weeks. After getting down early, the team struggles to find its rhythm. The team still has time to work on this in the next couple of weeks, and can be avoided if the team starts out games stronger since it would allow them to play more fired up and have more confidence in themselves at the beginning of games.

Overall, despite some of the challenges the team faces, if they play their next two games like how they played R.A. Long and Hockinson and hold their heads high, they have an opportunity to make the postseason and prove their potential from there on.