- April 25, 2024
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Quarterback Arthur Brantley IV gets coin toss instructions from coach Josh Smithers as he, junior Julian Lowenstein, senior Stephon Turner and junior Johnny Dawson wait to walk to midfield.
The Rams take the field against Dr. Phillips High.
Arthur Brantley IV calls for the Ram Bowl crowd to get loud following a third down conversion.
Senior Jamar Johnson evades a Panthers defender during a punt return.
The officials signal Dr. Phillips short of a first down on a first-half third down play.
Jamar Johnson skies to make a third-down catch for the Rams.
Freshman Michael Hayes (23) uses a Stephon Turner block to get upfield.
Junior running back Ali Boyce (22) gets dragged down by the ankles after a short gain.
Stephon Turner (18) and Ali Boyce (22) celebrate following a Boyce touchdown run in the second half.
The Rams stop a Panthers running back at the goal line.
Ali Boyce falls on the goal line in the second half after a short run. After some debate among the officiating crew, the play was ruled a Rams touchdown.
Senior Saul Johnson (24) grabs a Dr. Phillips running back by the leg, but cannot bring him down.
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."
