Varsity Football Tops Warriors, Ends Losing Streak
By Victor Rodriguez |
Friday Aug. 28 marked the kick off of the new season for the varsity football team. Coming off a 10-loss season in 2014, the buzz around campus has been not knowing what to expect this fall. The Riders made a statement by topping the Warren Warriors 42-21 to end a 15-game losing streak, the team’s first win since 2013.
Senior receiver Justin Mann leaps above a Warren defender to catch the ball mid air. Mann finished the night with 83 yards and two touchdown passes. Photo by Victor Rodriguez.
The Riders found their spark early in the first quarter when junior all-district defensive back Johnnie Harper stripped a ball for a fumble, returning it 50 yards for the team’s first touchdown in 2015. The Roosevelt sidelines were fired up as the momentum swayed to the Riders the rest of the game. The team scored 35 unanswered points in the first half, including two touchdown rushes from junior quarterback Bryson Carroll, and two touchdown catches from senior receiver Justin Mann before Warren struck back with a touchdown just as the clock was winding down for halftime.
“We got a chip on our shoulder from last season, so when you go 0-10 that’s all the momentum you need,” Mann said. “We have a strong defense and a really good offense so when you can score on both sides of the ball it carries the momentum to a high level and we plan on keeping it there the whole season.”
The Riders look forward to continuing their momentum into next week’s game versus the Clark Cougars.