Steady ground game helps Riverview football continue to improve

By: Michael Love
Sunday, November 6, 2022 | 11:01 AM

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The Riverview football team took a step forward in 2022 as it captured four victories in a season for the first time since 2015.

Third-year coach Trevor George said the 4-6 overall record was the work of a total team effort to get better in practice each week and on the field Friday evening and Saturday afternoons.

“For us, that is huge,” George said. “It means that what we’re doing is working. We’ve seen that steady improvement the past three years. It’s a mark that our kids were ready to hit. They did everything they could to get to that. We even let a couple of games slip away from us, and our kids were pretty upset about those games we feel we should’ve won.

“Now, when we put in all that work in the offseason, they know the result can be good things in games.”

Riverview capped its season Oct. 28 with a 52-14 victory over rival Springdale as junior Carlo Buzzatto carried the ball 22 times for 225 yards and three touchdowns. It was his fourth 100-yard game this season.

He finished with 1,021 yards and 10 touchdowns on 129 carries and is the first Riverview running back in roughly two decades to complete a season with 1,000 or more rushing yards.

Fellow junior Landon Johnson, who missed time earlier in the season, added 23 carries for 159 yards against the Dynamos. It was his third 100-yard game of the season.

Junior quarterback Rocco Cecere and freshman back Rio Stotts also recorded touchdown runs in the game.

“That game with Springdale holds so much value each year,” George said.

“It was the last game for our seniors who have given us so much. It was great to see them go out on a positive note. It also was big in the fact that it showcased what we are going to have heading into next year. A lot of underclassmen performed at a high level. We are heading into the offseason with a lot of momentum.

“Springdale is a young team that is only going to get better, and I am looking forward to more games between the two teams.”

Suiting up for the final time for the Raiders were seniors Joey Inzinga (offensive and defensive line), Kevin Tomlinson (wide receiver/safety), Liam McElligott (offensive and defensive line), Amir Gilmore (wide receiver/defensive back) and Juan Donato (offensive line/linebacker).

“I texted them every day going into the last week,” George said.

“I told them that there is not a big enough thank you I could give them. When I first met them, they were freshmen. They helped a 26-year old kid, basically, get going with his vision for the program, and they believed in what the coaches were preaching and believed in the process. They weren’t the biggest senior class you are going to see, but they certainly left their mark on the program as role models that will be felt for years to come.”

Riverview got in the win column for the first time this season with a 38-8 victory over Carlynton in Week 1. The victory was sandwiched around setbacks to Beth-Center (29-15) and Northgate (32-26), games George previously mentioned were there for the taking.

The Raiders also posted wins over Frazier and Summit Academy amid a challenging Eastern Conference slate which also included matchups against WPIAL-playoff qualifiers Clairton, Jeannette, Leechburg and Greensburg Central Catholic.

The 40-12 win against Summit came during the annual homecoming game under the lights at Riverside Park.

“The four wins was a nice improvement, but we’re not satisfied,” said Cecere, who threw for 610 yards and two touchdowns in a run-heavy offense.

“We do lose some great leaders in the seniors. They were crucial, especially in the winter workouts and were great role models for the younger guys. It will be tough to replace them, but we’re excited for who we have back and what we can do building on the experience from this season.”

Stotts contributed 446 rushing yards and five scores on 59 carries, sophomore Johnny Bertucci ran for 243 yards and three scores, and Cecere threw for two scores and ran for four others.

“On the line, Liam is the only lineman that we lose,” George said. “Juan, unfortunately, was hurt a lot of the time during the season. There is so much coming back at every position on both sides of the ball. We were the highest-scoring Riverview team since 2004. A majority of that was freshman, sophomores and juniors putting up big numbers in the first year of a new offense and new defense.

“With the junior and sophomore classes now having a couple years of experience, they are on a mission. They’ve asked if they can go outside and work together with no pads on. They want to start in the weight room immediately. They are hungry. It’s going to be fun to see this group develop in the months leading up to the start of next season.”

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.

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