Cardinal Gibbons wins PAC-6 football debut against Riverside
Despite a soggy playing surface, Cardinal Gibbons came out rolling on all cylinders in its first PAC-6 4A Conference game in school history, trouncing Riverside 29-12 in front of a homecoming crowd.
Magnus Kaikai took the opening kickoff 70 yards deep into Pirates territory, and the Crusaders (4-2, 1-0) never looked back after Brendan Shult rumbled in from four yards out just 49 seconds into the game.
After turning the ball over on two of its first three possessions, Riverside (2-5, 0-1) found a spark when DeAnthony Bright took his first carry of the night 56 yards up the left sideline to even the scoreline up at 6-6.
The Pirates’ celebrations were dampened not long after when Kaikai took the ensuing kickoff to the Riverside 31. Three-and-a-half minutes later, Schult powered in from two yards out to pick up his second score.
“(The returns) gave us a lot of momentum right out the gate and built us a little lead early on,” Gibbons coach Steven Wright said.
Schult wasn’t done, extending the Gibbons lead to 22-6 with his third and final score of the night halfway through the third quarter.
Gibbons’ defensive prowess was the biggest factor of the night, holding the Riverside to zero completions.
“I was really pleased with the plays we made on defense, especially in the second half when it was only a one score game,” Wright said.
Turning point
With Riverside’s rush attack running wild, Wesley Wagner’s 45 yard passing score to James Russo at the end of the third quarter squashed the Pirates’ hopes of a comeback, giving Gibbons their largest lead of the night at 29-6.
They said it
“It’s been fun to see some other opponents. Since I’ve been here we’ve played the same teams for four years,” Wright said. “It’s nice to try out some new schemes ... against these new opponents.”
Three who mattered
Magnus Kaikai, Cardinal Gibbons: Kaikai’s kickoff returns directly resulted in the Crusaders’ crucial first half touchdowns.
Dalen Spruill, Cardinal Gibbons: Spruill brought consistency to the Crusader offense, carrying 21 times for 102.
Deante McQuaig, Riverside: Standing at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, the offensive lineman cleared rush lanes all night for his running backs that combined for 157 yards.
“(McQuaig) is a mean kid, and he plays like it,” said Riverside offensive coordinator Amanti Owens.
By the numbers
18: Consecutive Riverside runs after throwing an interception on their first play of the game. Their second pass was also intercepted.
Minus-22: Yards the Pirates went on their first drive of the second half, resulting in a safety.
3-for-3: Including a two-point conversion attempt, Gibbons intercepted all three of Riverside’s passes.
84: Combined rushing attempts between Gibbons and Riverside.
This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 10:03 PM with the headline "Cardinal Gibbons wins PAC-6 football debut against Riverside."