Riverview football's season ended by Dr. Phillips

On Friday night, the Riverview High football team found out how fickle momentum can be. 

With the Ram Bowl crowd on its feet, the Rams, trailing 21-19, stood at Dr. Phillips High's 13 yard line with 10 minutes to go. They hadn't led all night, but they had controlled play in the second half, forcing a Panthers' turnover on downs and doing whatever they wanted offensively. The players were feeling it. The fans wanted a score. It all seemed to be setup for a game-changing moment. 

That moment came on the next play, but it wasn't made by the Rams. 

A low snap rolled past Rams senior quarterback Arthur Brantley IV. Panthers junior linebacker Jaquarri Powell scooped it and rumbled 87 yards to the house, just out of Brantley IV's desperate reach. Suddenly, Dr. Phillips led 28-19.  

The play was backbreaking. It quieted the once-raucous crowd. The momentum the Rams built evaporated in an instant and they would never get it back.

Riverview would see a field goal attempt clank off the right upright on the ensuing possession, and with five minutes to go at that point, the game, and the Rams' season, was all but over. Riverview consistently struggled in the red zone, settling for four field goal attempts and making two of them.

The Rams trailed 14-6 at the half after Panthers senior quarterback BeSean McCray dashed 65 yards through the middle of the Rams' front seven with 21 seconds remaining. Riverview junior running back Ali Boyce was held in check early, but created chunk plays in the second half and was rewarded with two touchdowns. 

Riverview head coach Josh Smithers said the early struggles were caused by missed assignments, not Dr. Phillips shutting down the Rams' scheme. A lot of Riverview's success this season was in part because of early leads, which forced opponents to play how Riverview wanted them to play, Smithers said. Dr. Phillips' physicality made that impossible. 

Smithers also thanked the departing senior class for enduring some less successful years to lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, and for advancing as far as they did. Left guard Moose Griffith, one of those seniors, said he's proud of how the team came together this season.

"I'm going to remember the chemistry we had," Griffith said. "I know that I can go to any one of my brothers on this team and they're going to be there for me."