(Oakland, IA) — Riverside had an uphill battle to knock off #1 AC/GC and they certainly gave them a scare but the Chargers were too much in an exciting 50-42 win in Class A, District 7 showdown on Friday night.
AC/GC (5-0)ultimately overcame three lost fumbles and Herculean effort from Bulldog RB Jaxon Gordon. In the 4th quarter, Jathan South broke a 36 all tie with a 5 yard TD run at the 9:05 mark to make it 43-36 Chargers. After a Riverside (3-2) 3 and out, AC/GC went on another drive and Mike Fuller punched it in from 5 yards out to make it a two score lead 50-36. Riverside needed a quick score and they got it on a Landyn Schoenrock 59 yard TD pass to Jett Rose but the extra point was blocked to make it 50-42. The Chargers took over at the 50 but Fuller fumbled it right back to the Bulldogs — Riverside moved into AC/GC territory but twice Gordon was stuffed on 3rd and 4th down and 1 to end the game.
AC/GC Head Coach Cody Matthewson is happy to get the win but his team is still not playing like the #1 team in Class A
Chargers Fullback ran it 31 times for 201 yards and 3 TD but he did fumble it three times. Matthewson says it doesn’t change the fact that the Senior is a good football player
Both teams would score in their first possession, AC/GC went over 8 minutes on their first drive with Fuller rambling for a 19 yard TD. Riverside struck back quickly as Gordon got outside and raced down the sidelines for a 59 yard TD run to tie it at 7.
AC/GC would fumble it on their next two possessions but the Bulldogs could not turn the turnovers into points. The Chargers would get a drive going in the 2nd quarter with Jathan South getting a 2 yard TD to make 14-7 Chargers with 4:59 left.
The rest of the half was a whirlwind that resulting in the Bulldogs leading going into the locker room. After South’s TD, Gordon broke a 56 yard run and then Schoenrock found Davis Bramman on a 5 yard TD pass to tie the game at 14. The Chargers answered quickly on a South 40 yard TD run — on the ensuing kickoff Cole Jeppesen handed to Gordon and the speedster raced all the way for a 90 yard kickoff return for a TD. A 2 point conversion made it 22-21 Riverside who then promptly recovered an onside kick, converted a 4th and 7 on a 30 yard pass to Taven Moore and then Jeppesen scooted around the edge for a 10 yard TD run. The flurry of points made it 29-21 Riverside.
The Bulldogs had deferred so they got it to start the 3rd quarter but this time it was AC/GC’s turn to recover an onside kick, which Matthewson said was unintentional, they were just trying to kick it away from Gordon. But the Chargers took advantage with Fuller finishing the drive with an 18 yard TD and a 2 point conversion tied it at 29. Gordon answered with another big play — a 36 yard TD run and Riverside retook the lead 36-29 but it would be their last lead. The Chargers went on a 63 yard drive capped by a South 12 yard TD run to tie the game at 36. That set the stage for AC/GC’s strong 4th quarter.
Unofficial stats for AC/GC: 458 yards rushing; Mike Fuller 31 carries 201 yards 3 TD; Jathan South 15 carries 150 yards 4 TD; Joe Crawford 9 carries 84 yards.
Unofficial stats for Riverside: Jaxon Gordon 22 carries 198 yards 2 rushing TD plus a 90 yard kickoff return for a TD; Cole Jeppesen 4 carries 20 yards 1 TD; Landyn Schoenrock 4-9 passing for 95 yards and 2 TD; Jett Rose 1 catch 59 yards for a TD; 337 yards total offense, 242 rush, 95 passing
