Senior Kevin Tomlinson driven to restore Riverview pride

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 8:41 PM

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Riverview senior Kevin Tomlinson has grown 5 inches in height since his freshman football season.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver/free safety also has grown significantly through all of the ups and downs experienced during his varsity career with the Raiders.

Those experiences fuel the team co-captain, and he said that he is ready to help lift the team back to prominence and back to the WPIAL playoffs.

“It’s always meant a lot to bring the tradition back,” the three-year varsity starter said. “My dad played here back in the 80s, and he was on teams that made the playoffs every year. We’ve heard a lot about the successful teams and seasons. We’ve watched film of the team in the 90s. That really drives a lot of the guys on this team.

“This is a very close-knit group, and we all play for each other. The team mentality really means a lot to us.”

Tomlinson said there is an understanding at small-school Riverview that most of the starters will play both ways and not leave the field very much during a game.

With that goes the need to be physically conditioned, and Tomlinson said that has been a large part of preparation in the offseason — getting stronger in the weight room, working on the field and playing in 7-on-7s throughout the summer.

“We all love the challenge of playing as many reps as you can and being prepared to have a ton of energy when it matters most in the fourth quarter of games,” Tomlinson said.

Riverview didn’t throw the ball much last year. Tomlinson tied for the team lead in receptions with junior Toby Green with nine, collecting 98 yards and a touchdown.

For his offensive efforts, Tomlinson garnered Eastern Conference honorable mention honors at receiver.

He said that with weapons at receiver and tight end — sophomore Alex Schulteis, junior Jack Loughran and Green, among others — strength and experience along the offensive line led by senior co-captain Liam Elligott and a tough-and-ready quarterback in co-captain Rocco Cecere, the passing game has what it takes to complement a running attack that has led the way in recent years behind bruising ball carriers such as Dean Cecere and Zach Hanlon.

“It’s a young receiving group,” Tomlinson said. “I am the only senior. I try to set a good example for them, and it’s exciting to see the unit do so well in preparing for the season. Whether we run or pass the ball, we have a lot of guys who can rotate in and make plays.

“Rocco has dedicated himself last year and this year in the weight room and on the field. We have total trust in him. He showed a lot of good things in 7-on-7s. We’ve gained a lot of confidence together.”

Tomlinson said he also is ready to increase his role on defense as a quarterback-type at free safety.

“I really focused on speed in the offseason, and that works well at receiver and also for a defense that really wants to fly to the ball,” Tomlinson said. “You can never be too fast or too conditioned. There’s always room to improve.”

Tomlinson said excitement ramped up for the season through play at a Washington & Jefferson 7-on-7 tournament in June.

“We played really well in a number of games, and we faced some bigger schools,” he said. “A lot of young guys got reps. There was a small-school bracket and a big-school bracket, and even when we weren’t playing, we were watching bigger schools to see what they do differently. We wanted to learn as much as we could while we were there. It was a great experience.”

Riverview hopes to turn around its fortunes in and out of Eastern Conference play. The Raiders have won just seven games in the past five seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2016.

Coach Trevor George said he knows his team has the potential to challenge for a postseason berth, and that Tomlinson will be a major cog in the machine.

“He has a tremendous impact on how this team has come together and continues to grow,” George said. “He is both a vocal leader and one who goes out and shows how it’s supposed to be. He’s an all-around true leader, and you can’t coach that. He exemplifies that by his work in the weight room and how much weight and muscle he put on. He shows the younger kids this is how we do things.”

Tomlinson said he appreciates receiving interest from college football programs. He has visits on the horizon at Geneva and Saint Vincent.

“It’s always been a goal to play in college,” Tomlinson said. “I had a lot of good role models my freshman year. A few of those seniors went off to play in college. They set really good examples for me and some other guys on the team. Now, with these chances we have, we want to set good examples for the younger players. That’s so important.”

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.