Excitement builds as Riverview continues quest to return to playoffs

By: Michael Love
Monday, August 19, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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In Class A football, large rosters are mostly uncommon.

But this year, Riverview is bucking that trend.

Fifth-year coach Trevor George was excited to welcome more than 50 players to preseason camp.

“We have to get some new uniforms,” George said. “We’ve seen growth every year. Winning helps, and I think people want to be a part of that and help that increase. Also, being in the school and helping our seventh graders get interested and building up the junior high program has been a key thing. We also have 32 on the junior high team. Last year, we didn’t have a junior high program.”

George hopes the numbers, and the excitement and enthusiasm that surround the program heading into the 2024 season will translate into winning games and making it to the WPIAL playoffs, a place the Raiders haven’t been to since 2016.

Last year, Riverview went 5-5 as it rallied to beat rival Springdale in the Eastern Conference and season finale.

The Raiders finished 2-4 in the conference, one game behind Leechburg for the fourth WPIAL berth. Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic and Jeannette were the top three teams from the conference, and Clairton made it to the Class A semifinals before losing to South Side.

“This conference is full of great coaches and gritty and tough kids,” George said. “It’s never easy. We have a lot from last year that motivates us, losing by one point to Leechburg and by just a touchdown to GCC. We chalked up last year to nine plays that didn’t get us to the playoffs. The motto all year has been to break on the number nine. This season, they know they are playing for those nine plays and to get that playoff berth.”

The motivation, George said, included strong work in the offseason.

“In the spring, we switched to 6 a.m. lifts before school, which was huge for us because it allowed all of our spring athletes to be there,” George said. “It brought the excitement and energy. Our 7-on-7 season was great. We went to W&J and went 6-1 in their tournament and lost in the semis. We also went the championship of the Burrell tournament. It was awesome to see that growth and those results.”

Riverview lost 10 seniors from last year, including starting quarterback Rocco Cecere and all-conference running back Carlo Buzzatto.

Junior running back Rio Stotts, who carried the ball 56 times for 468 yards and four touchdowns last year, has been working to replace Cecere.

“Rio is so versatile,” George said. “He does things sometimes that aren’t coachable. This is going to be a big season for him. No matter where he is on the field, offense, defense, special teams, he’s going to make an impact. He’s a playmaker.”

George said sophomore Connor Kmetz also has made strides at the quarterback spot.

George said he expects whoever doesn’t win the quarterback job to be on the field somewhere else in the offense.

Alex Schultheis, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior tight end, has been dedicated to the weight room, George said.

“To me, he’s one of the most under-recruited kids in the area,” George said. “I think more schools will come calling during the season.”

Senior offensive and defensive lineman Drew Ogrodowski enters the season with five college offers. George said he is being recruited by some of the Mid-American Conference schools.

“He’s put on 50 to 60 pounds since last season. He’s so strong. We have high expectations for him with how well he did in his first year. It’s going to be fun to run and pass behind him,” George said.

George said senior guard and nose tackle Cam Long is an anchor in the trenches.

“He is so strong and so conditioned. He is the motor on the line,” George said “He will get on kids about conditioning. He’s been through it.”

Drew Hunter, also a senior and a member of the boys soccer team, owns an offer from Columbia University after a successful kicking performance at the school’s camp.

“He’s going to have a great season kicking for us,” George said.

Conference newcomer Brentwood will travel to Riverview for the annual night game Oct. 4 at Riverside Park.

“We’ve seen film on them, and it seems like they have some really good players,” George said. “I think they will make our conference even stronger.”

Riverview

Coach: Trevor George

2023 record: 5-5, 2-4 in Class A Eastern Conference

All-time record: 269-265-11

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 at Bethlehem-Center, 7

8.30 at Valley, 7

9.7 Cornell, noon

9.13 at Leechburg*, 7

9.21 Springdale*, noon

9.28 Greensburg Central Catholic*, noon

10.4 Brentwood*, 6

10.12 Frazier*, noon

10.18 at Clairton*, 7

10.26 Jeannette*, noon

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Rocco Cecere*

34-75, 693 yards, 9 TDs

Rushing: Carlo Buzzatto*

210-2,070 yards, 17 TDs

Receiving: Alex Schultheis

16-392 yards, 4 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Riverview is looking for its first winning season since 2010 when it went 6-4 overall and 4-4 in conference play.

• Thirty-two of the 41 Raiders offensive touchdowns last year came from the running game.

• Riverview averaged 29.7 points a game last year, the most by a Class A team that didn’t make the playoffs.

• Riverview went 9-11 the past two seasons after going a combined 1-16 in 2020 and 2021.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

2, Max Kratt, WR/DB, 5-9/160, jr.

3, Rio Stotts, ATH/DB, 5-9/170, jr.

4, Dom Williams, WR/DB, 5-9/160, jr.

5, Lucas Isbel, RB/LB, 5-10/185, jr.

6, Lukas Duncan, RB/LB, 5-9/170, so.

7, Prince Govan, WR/DB, 5-10/160, jr.

8, Alex Schultheis, TE/DL, 6-5/215, sr.

9, Antonio Boyer, WR/DB, 6-4/165, sr.

10, Jaydon Dang, WR/DB, 5-9/160, so.

11, Pete Sekel, WR/DB, 6-0/180, sr.

12, Connor Kmetz, QB/DB, 6-2/170, so.

13, Michael Woodrow, WR/DB, 5-9/160, so.

14, Mason Nash, WR/DB, 6-2/165, so.

15, Kiko Donato, TE/LB, 5-10/195, sr.

16, Tyler Aftanas, WR/DB, 5-10/170, sr.

17, Trentin Johnson, WR/DB, 5-9175, jr.

18, Josh Geppert, WR/DB, 5-9/160, fr.

19, Michael Bindernagel, WR/DB, 6-0/170, jr.

20, Quinlan Catanzaro, TE/LB, 6-1/215, sr.

22, Brandon Trainer, RB/LB, 5-9/160, sr.

23, Kaden Levy, RB/LB, 5-10/170, so.

24, Luke Huffman, TE/LB, 6-0/205, sr.

27, Johnny Bertucci, RB/LB, 6-0/185, sr.

32, France Harper, TE/LB, 6-1/175, so.

33, Landon Johnson, RB/LB, 5-10/180, sr.

35, David Bradley, RB/LB, 5-9/175, sr.

36, Miles Duncan, RB/LB, 5-10/175, so.

40, Drew Hunter, K, 5-10/180, sr.

41, Eben Ulrich, P, 5-10/160, jr.

42, Dino Yarlo, RB/LB, 5-9/185, sr.

43, Francisco La Rosa, RB/LB, 5-10/180, jr.

47, Dom DelRosso, TE/LB, 5-10/195, fr.

50, Miles Segal, OL/DL, 6-3/205, so.

51, Pierce Colvin, OL/DL, 6-1/220, so.

52, Caleb Mayhood, OL/LB, 6-0/195, sr.

53, Cole Brunn, OL/LB, 5-10/190, so.

54, John Moses, OL/DL, 5-10/185, so.

55, Cam Long, OL/DL, 5-10/215, sr.

56, Addison Pascal, OL/DL, 6-1/245, jr.

57, Zachary Rutherford, OL/DL, 6-0/215, so.

58, Jack Reynolds, OL/DL, 6-2/190, jr.

59, Drew Ogrodowski, OL/DL, 6-3/295, sr.

60, Deandre Beatty, OL/DL, 5-10/205, sr.

61, Anthony Tigano, OL/DL, 5-10/190, sr.

62, Michael Aquino, OL/DL, 6-1/205, fr.

63, John Hightower, OL/DL, 6-1/200, so.

65, Noah Hunter, OL/DL, 6-4/245, so.

66, Vincent DelRosso, OL/DL, 6-1/250, jr.

77, Dimitri Hong, OL/DL, 5-9/235, so.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Riverview