The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Riverside>>Beavers
Just the facts
Conference: WRC
Coach: Dave Bors, 12th year (57-54) OHSAA: Division II, Region 5
2020: 6-2
Twitter: @_RHSFootball
Home field: Riverside Stadium
Outlook
The good news in Painesville Township is the building block off which the Beavers are diving into this campaign, a 6-2 season with a playoff win. The challenge is many of the familiar faces who helped spearhead that have graduated. An offensive line averaging 282 pounds and returning its interior intact will help the cause, and Dom Tromba and Abdussatar are a solid 1-2 backfield punch. Replacing seven starters on defense, including the entire DB corps, will naturally be a work in progress. There is an opportunity to compete in the top half of the WRC, but the new personnel will have to develop fast.
Player to watch
Dom Tromba, a 6-foot, 200-pound senior, showed flashes as a junior with 361 regular-season rushing yards and six TDs, along with four sacks and seven TFLs on defense. In turn, he’s likely to be the glue for this new-look squad on both sides of the ball. Underclassman to watch: Sophomore WR-DB Brady McKnight (5-10, 170) saw reps as a freshman, an “excellent athlete” and “coachable” according to Bors who will be counted upon heavily as a two-way starter.
Bottom line
IF: … that new-look defense can come along and Tromba can have a big year; THEN … .500or even much better than that seems attainable.
— Chris Lillstrung
Schedule (subject to change)
Aug. 20: Riverside at Perry, 7
Aug. 27: Amherst at Riverside, 7 Sept. 3: Holy Name at Riverside, 7 Sept. 10: Riverside at Chardon, 7 Sept. 17: Riverside at Madison, 7 Sept. 24: Mayfield at Riverside, 7 (HC) Oct. 1: Riverside at North, 7
Oct. 9: Martinsburg at Riverside, 1 Oct. 15: Riverside at Kenston, 7
Oct. 22: South at Riverside, 7