SOUTH BEND — The Riley at Washington football game Friday night included a little bit of everything.
Some good, some bad and unfortunately some ugly too.
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The Northern Indiana Conference between heated rivals in the end included the Wildcats hanging on for a tough 27-20 win over the Panthers at Everwise School Field.
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Riley raced to a 27-0 lead only to see the gritty Panthers rally within 27-20 with a trio of touchdown passes by quarterback Gabe Weber in the final period.
The Wildcats sealed the win when freshman Bradford Washington came up with an interception with just 1:24 to play deep in Panther territory. Riley was then able to run out the clock and escape with the win.
The contest saw a pair of players from each team also ejected, following a melee on the field on the final play of the first half — an interception by Washington’s Jaydon Lineberry. The ejections came after an extended halftime which saw the game officials huddle with administrators from both schools to discuss the situation.
Riley improved to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the NIC with the win. Washington dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the NIC.
Riley coach Darrick Lee did not want the fracas before halftime to be the storyline for the contest, which took three hours to complete.
“Unfortunately, it happened, but that brief moment should not overshadow the effort by the kids on both teams tonight,” Lee said in a phone interview Friday night after the game.
“What happened before halftime is not what either program represents and neither program condones it. Both programs have great kids and great coaches. It was a hard-fought, exciting game and that one play should not overshadow how competitive it was.
“I commend the players and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hs-football-riley-holds-top-052836591.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2024-09-21 05:28:36
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