Falcons hope to shock defending state champ Carey in first round

By LONNIE McMILLAN

Times news bureau

CAREY — The playoffs are an every year expectation for Carey, and one that the Blue Devils rarely fail to meet. Carey is in the postseason for the sixth straight year, riding a 25-game winning streak that includes winning the Division VI state championship last season.

The Division VI Region 22 top-seeded Blue Devils’ opponent this week, neighboring No. 16 seed Riverdale, is far from that level of tradition but hopes to get there.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to be on the same field that Carey is,” Riverdale coach Sam Petrie said. “They’ve got things rolling. If anything, it gives our kids a chance to see where we want to get to. They’ve been to the top of the mountain last year, so the chance to get to play them, that’s our end goal.”

Riverdale (5-5) was able to make a first step toward turning its football program into a consistent winner by qualifying for the playoffs for just the second time in school history. The only other time the Falcons earned a spot in the postseason was in 2008.

Playing in the 11th week of the season and beyond has been routine for the Blue Devils (10-0) under coach Jonathon Mershman.

“For us, it’s been every year since I’ve been the head coach that we’ve made the playoffs, and that’s an awesome thing to keep going, a streak that’s really notable for us,” Mershman said. “We get extra games for the seniors and a cool atmosphere to get to play at home. It’s great of the community and everyone involved.”

Things went well enough for Riverdale early in the season when it had key victories against Hardin Northern (6-4) and Van Buren (3-7) to get off to a 4-1 start that it was able to sustain a four-game losing streak against the top teams in the Blanchard Valley Conference and still be in position to qualify for the playoffs.

Heading into the final week of the season, the Falcons just had to get a win against Arcadia to guarantee a spot in the postseason, and they certainly were ready, pounding the Redskins 58-8.

Riverdale has had to adjust the second half of the season after losing Lane Morris to an ACL injury. In just five games, Morris had 749 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and had thrown for 533 yards and five more scores.

His replacement at quarterback, Heath Dunbar, is more of a traditional pocket passer. He has thrown for 886 yards and eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Davin Harbor (35 catches for 481 yards, four touchdowns) and Carson Young (33 receptions for 432 yards and five touchdowns) have been his top targets, while running back Loukas Carter has received an increased workload. He has rushed for 598 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

“The kids worked hard and it showed,” Petrie said. “Losing Lane in week 5 to a torn ACL is not easy, especially in a school like this when you don’t have a lot of pieces. Then going into your toughest stretch and you come out week 10 and still have a chance to make it, it is a great opportunity, and the kids took advantage of it.”

Defensively, Carter is the leading tackler in the BVC with 137, while Harbor is not far behind with 96 tackles. Young has 77 tackles and has intercepted five passes.

Carey relies on its line play, both offensively and defensively, to control games.

Offensively, the Blue Devils prefer to run the ball, with quarterback Lance Rickle leading the way in a balanced attack. He has 768 yards and 10 touchdowns. Eli Steen (540 yards, seven touchdowns), Conner Norden (505 yards, seven touchdowns) and Austin Niederkohr (456 yards, eight touchdowns) all have averaged more than 50 yards per game.

Rickle has shown an ability to pass when he needs to, completing 55.6% of his passes for 928 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions. Tight end Dominic Yeater has become a favorite target with 15 catches for 147 yards and four touchdowns.

Defense is where Carey really excels. It has allowed just 7.1 points and 136.2 yards per game on the season. Linebacker Landen Kemerley has 90 tackles, including 23 for loss, while defensive end Nathan Brodman has made 86 tackles, including 28.5 for loss with eight sacks. Niederkohr and Jordan Mattimoe both have four interceptions.

“Third down is a big thing,” Petrie said. “You see on the films, a lot of these teams get them to third down, fourth down, but it’s third-and-short, fourth-and-short, and you can’t get those plays to get off the field. … That’s our big key defensively. Offensively, they kind of play a similar style to Colonel Crawford. I think Heath can take advantage of that in the secondary, so I’m hoping we can do some short passes. Our key is winning first down. If we can get into second-and-short, that’s going to be huge for our success.”

With only five seniors this season, Riverdale having a playoff game against a team of Carey’s caliber is a great opportunity to continue building its program.

Riverdale and Carey kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Carey.