(Oakland, IA) — It could have finished differently but Riverside fans are fine just the way it went. The Bulldogs earn their first playoff win since 2020 as they held off Lynnville Sully 29-27.
Jaxon Gordon would finish unofficially with 35 carries for 205 yards and 1 TD but it was big plays from unlikely players that would help the Bulldogs to the win. Also turnovers played a factor on both sides as well. And the Hawks would miss some key two point conversions.
The Hawks took advantage of a Riverside fumble on their first possession and Lannon Montgomery hit Matthew Mintle on a 25 yard TD pass and with the 2 pointer it was 8-0 Lynnville Sully. It didn’t take long for Gordon to answer — on his second touch of the game, he broke a 63 yard TD run to make it 8-7. The Hawks came right back and Landyn Fisk would scamper down the middle for a 39 yard TD run and it looked like a scoring fest was on, the Hawks led 15-7.
Defenses would settle in forcing back to back punts but Riverside struck at the start of the 2nd quarter as Landyn Schoenrock faked a run to Gordon and threw a slant pass across the middle to little used Maddox Knoke who got behind the safety and ran away from everyone for a 72 yard TD. It was just his 2nd catch of the season. A 2 point conversion tied the game at 15.
Later in the quarter, the Hawks were backed up on their own 20 yard line and Montgomery threw a ball to the far side but he never saw Cole Jeppesen who read Montgomery’s eyes, stepped in front to picked it off and nobody was in front of him for the pick 6 and the Bulldogs led 22-15 with 2:09 left in the first half. Lynnville Sully would answer back after kicking back to the Bulldogs and Schoenrock tried to make a pass across the middle that Landyn Fisk picked off and returned it to the Riverside 49. The Hawks would score just before the end of the first half on a 1 yard TD pass from Montgomery to Jack Bowlin. But the 2 point conversion was no good and Riverside led 22-21 at the half.
Riverside had the ball out of the locker room and took it right down the field on a methodical drive that Gordon would finish with a 7 yard TD to give the Bulldogs a 29-21 lead. The rest of the half was a tug of war– Lynnville Sully fumbled on their next possession but the Bulldogs went 3 and out. The Hawks turned it over again as Knoke picked off a Montgomery pass but Riverside punted again. Lynnville started the 4th quarter at the Bulldog 43 but was forced to punt and they downed it at the 1 yard line. Gordon got Riverside out of trouble with a 25 yard run but again Riverside punted but changed the field position backing the Hawks up to their own 18. Montgomery used quad receivers that were on one side and moved down the field and the Hawk QB hit Mintle on a 24 yard TD with 5 minutes left but the 2 point conversion was ruled incomplete contrary to Lynnville Sully coaches who argued otherwise. Riverside held the lead.
On the kickoff, the Bulldogs got it close to midfield on a pooch kick and went the conservative route with Gordon runs. They would have to punt but backed up the Hawks to their own 14 yard line. After a few incompletions and facing a 4th and 12, Montgomery hit Fisk on a 33 yard pass to move the Hawks to midfield. A Riverside facemask on the next play moved Lynnville Sully to the Riverside 39. That’s as far as they got. Wyatt Bell would sack Montgomery on the next play and then Montgomery would scramble away again from pressure and tried an underhand sling pass that was picked off by Geven Hackett to put the game away.
Lynnville Sully was plagued by 4 turnovers — Riverside had 2 TOs. Schoenrock was 3-8 passing for 86 yards 1 TD and 1 INT. Montgomery was 20-38 passing for 273 yards 3 TD and 3 INT.
Lynnville Sully ends their season at 5-4 while Riverside goes to 7-2.
Post Game Comments from Riverside Head Coach Darrell Frain