PAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP — Geneva coach Tony Hassett referred to one play as the “backbreaker” in his team’s 29-10 loss at Riverside on Friday night. Beavers coach Dave Bors agreed, although it is likely he wouldn’t have chosen the same word, given his perspective.

The Eagles (2-4, 1-2 in the Premier Athletic Conference) had just moved 39 yards in four plays, with star running back Aaron Rossi taking it in from five yards, cutting the Riverside lead to 15-10 with exactly five minutes to go in the third quarter.

Momentum, it seemed, was on Geneva’s side of the field. But if that was indeed true, it would last for only a couple more minutes.

After two incomplete passes, the Beavers were faced with a third-and-10 situation at their own 24 yard line. But Maxx Brubaker (12-of-23, 205 yards) went back to pass and hit Matt Milostan (4 catches, 118 yards) down the middle of the field. The senior wideout broke into the clear for a 76-yard touchdown play which pushed his team’s advantage back to 22-10.

“We gave up the big play,” Hassett said. “We came out in the second half, stopped them (twice), moved down the field and scored, and instead of rising to that, to me that was the backbreaker, right there. That was the one that killed us.”

When told that Hassett had referred to that play as the backbreaker, Bors agreed.

“When we came back to go up 22-10 on them, that was the backbreaker,” he said. “We came out, we were up 15-3, and we had the ball and all this good stuff, and they were able to stop (us) and they were able to score on us. I give them credit.”

The Eagles were never able to threaten again. Eventually, Marcus Jones (72 yards in 13 attempts), who had opened the scoring with a three-yard first-quarter run, broke free for a 26-yard TD with 2:19 remaining, for the final margin.

Riverside (5-1, 3-0) got its other score in the second period. With a 7-3 lead and the ball on the Eagle 19,



John Watson, who ran the triple option as a starting quarterback last year but now normally plays elsewhere on offense while Brubaker starts, took the snap and faked a handoff to Nick Schoval. Schoval looked like he would be tackled behind the line of scrimmage. But Watson kept the pigskin and scampered 19 yards to paydirt.

Brubaker passed to Joe McDonald for two points and a 15-3 advantage after the Beavers lined up as if to kick the extra point.

“I (was) thinking the refs had been watching Schoval too, because he’s going to get tackled, and (I’m thinking), ‘Don’t blow the whistle,’” Bors said. “That’s what John Watson does. He’s been doing it for the last two years, so he picked right back up where he left off.”

The first half ended when Brubaker hit Watson for 25 yards to the Geneva 11.

Rossi played with an injured shoulder, but was still the workhorse. His numbers — 83 yards and the one TD on 22 attempts — were good, but not near what he has averaged for the season.

“He was leading the Star Beacon coverage area with 66 points; he was averaging 6.2 yards a carry,” Bors said. “They were the second-leading offense in the area ahead of us. With 318 yards a game. Rushing yards — they had 254 a game (as opposed to 170 in this contest).

“So what we did is we challenged (them) because stat-wise we’re up there defensively. We took it as a challenge going into this game because we have a lot of respect for Geneva. We said if someone else wants to beat us tonight, so be it. We’re not letting Rossi beat us. We had to take something away. That’s what we chose to take away tonight.”

“They were ready for him,” Hassett said. “They outhit us tonight — bottom line. It was their homecoming. They wanted it more.

Hassett lamented mental errors at inopportune times on offense and not getting enough pressure on Brubaker.

“(On defense) we didn’t tackle well tonight,” he said. “We knew what they were going to do.”

However, Bors  made it clear that the Beavers hold Geneva in high regard, saying he had told his players that the Eagles could easily have come in at 4-1.

The homecoming festivities also brought a special guest to the Riverside locker room.

“(Longtime) coach (Don) Andersen was alumni captain tonight,” Bors said. “He was in the locker room pregame tonight, which kind of special.”

Geneva got on the board when Santos Robles booted a 26-yard field goal after a first-quarter possession that lasted more than six minutes.

After taking the 15-3 lead, a Beaver threat was thwarted when a 32-yard field goal attempt was missed.

Riverside had the advantage in total yards, 380-229.

There were no turnovers in the game.

Goldman is a freelance writer from South Euclid.

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