Orange Panthers shut out Riverside football
There was nothing special about Bryse Wilson’s numbers leading No. 6-ranked Orange to a 34-0 road win over No. 15 Riverside Friday night on the Pirates’ field.
Nothing unusual, that is, until you understand that the versatile running back, wide receiver, middle linebacker and punter with a baseball scholarship commitment to North Carolina replaced injured starting quarterback Jackson Schmid.
“I’m just filling in until our starter gets back,” Wilson said. “Hopefully we’ll still be undefeated when we start (Big Eight 3A) conference play.”
Schmid, a junior, was injured late in the fourth quarter of last week’s 20-13 win over Northern despite throwing the game-winning pass to Wilson with less than a minute to play. He suffered a sprained knee and is expect to miss two games.
Wilson carried seven times for 21 yards with a 1-yard touchdown run. He completed 6 of 12 passes for 80 yards and one TD. He also blocked a punt that set up Orange’s final TD.
Turning point
Orange (3-0) started slowly and only led 14-0 at halftime when the Panthers’ Eryk Brandon-Dean returned the kickoff 62 yards to the Riverside 36. Drew Lemaster scored five plays later for a commanding 21-0 lead.
They said it
Orange defensive end Stone Edwards: “I would have scored a touchdown if I wouldn’t have spaced out.” The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder picked up the punt that Wilson blocked and was running free for 8 yards before he was tackled.
Three who mattered
Orange’s Brandon-Dean: He carried 13 times for 105 yards and one touchdown and caught three balls for 55 yards and another TD. The scores were a 37-yard reception and a 1-yard run.
Orange’s Ryan Puckett: The junior tallied the game’s first touchdown as a running back on a 2-yard run and then relieved Wilson for the final eight minutes at quarterback.
Riverside’s Emanual Harper: The junior made a diving 33-yard reception at Orange’s 27-yard line early in the third quarter for the Pirates’ best scoring opportunity.
By the numbers
9: Quarters Riverside (1-2) has gone without scoring. The Pirates didn’t score in the fourth period of their 24-7 win and were shutout last week by Pinecrest 44-0.
11: The number of Orange backup defensive players in the final eight minutes that preserved the Panthers’ shutout.
Unknown: The number of Panthers that congratulated Edwards coming off the field as he tried to rumble for a touchdown with the blocked punt he recovered.
This story was originally published September 4, 2015 at 10:22 PM with the headline "Orange Panthers shut out Riverside football."