Riverview football shut down by Venice

The Riverview High football team jogged off the field at Venice High with a pep in its step as the game between the rival Rams and Indians hit halftime. 

The Rams had tied the game at seven with 28 seconds left in the half on a 26-yard pass from junior Will Carter Jr. to senior Johnell Williams. The score followed a Venice turnover that set up Riverview at the 36-yard line. The Rams would stop Venice's ensuing possession and go into the half deadlocked 7-7. Riverview hit the locker room upbeat and it appeared that the game would be a fight to the end. 

The good vibes wouldn't last through the third quarter for the Rams. Venice would force the Rams to go three-and-out on its first second-half possession, then marched down the field and took the lead on a DJ Escort rushing touchdown. The score sucked the air out of the Riverview sideline. The Rams offense found no room to maneuver and the Rams defense, which held its own in the first half, wore down the longer it remained on the field. The Indians would rattle off 35 unanswered points in the second half and went home with a 42-7 victory. 

"They played 90 snaps,” Smithers said of his defense. “You can’t play 90 snaps against a team like this and expect to hold them out of the end zone or to 14 points. On offense, we’ve got to do a better job.”