R’heads’ run game too much for Central

WOODSTOCK — Dreary, rainy conditions favor the running game and the strength of Riverheads is the rush.

Add a huge first quarter and the Gladiators win a big road Shenandoah District contest 42-21 Friday night.

Big Red took control early.

First play from scrimmage went to Daniel Weekley. Weekley cut outside to the left and 65 yards later gave the Gladiators the first and final lead of the game 13 seconds into the contest.

“We like those kinds of plays,” Riverheads coach Rob Casto said. “It makes it easy on our line when we can get those.”

Weekley’s huge run was part of 315 rushing yards by the Gladiators in the first half.

Central went three-and-out in its first possession.

Ten plays later and Cory Sandridge was into the end zone, a very familiar play for him as he leads the Shenandoah District with 16 touchdowns after the 14-0 capper.

After the Gladiators jumped all over a muffed pooch kickoff, Demetrius Younger found the end zone with a 30-yard run to end the first up 21-0.

“The line played really well tonight,” Casto added.

Down by three or more scores, an opponent needs to throw the ball to dig out of the deficit. Luckily for Central, that is the style of game they love to play featuring a spread offense.

The leading passer in yards in the Shenandoah Valley, Matt Sherfey, went 3-for-5 on the next drive for 67 yards and the touchdown pass to Seth Wymer in the back of the end zone.

“They are a good passing team and we just have to make sure his passes stay in front of us and a few times we struggled with that,” Casto stated, giving credit to Central quarterback Sherfey.

The second quarter was full of strategy.

The Falcons loaded the box with 10 players, leaving a safety back to stop the run.

Casto answered by running his Jumbo package, taking all of his receivers out of the game.

The Jumbo paid off, crushing the Falcon defense on a 14 play drive covering 75 yards and over six minutes that saw Sandridge find pay dirt again with his 17th touchdown.

Another possession gave the Gladiators one more touchdown reaching 35 points in the first half on another Weekley TD. Weekley left the game with an injury.

Central threw everything it had left at the Gladiators’ defense at the end of the second quarter with Sherfey ready to throw the ball all around the field.

Sherfey completed pass after pass, tapping into the fullback Derek Copenhaver for ten yards on third-and-two.

When Central needed another huge play, Sherfey hit his favorite target Sean Sermones down the left sideline with a huge bomb to set up a chance to score before halftime while getting the ball to start the second half as well.

Sherfey fired a ball into the Riverheads’ end zone with under 20 seconds left but the ball was tipped and picked off by Hunter Jensen, sucking all the momentum out of the crowd and sending the teams into half with the score 35-7.

Weekley would return strong in the second half, picking off Sherfey on the opening play and taking the first Gladiator offensive play 70 yards for a touchdown.