Black’s incredible catch saves home opener for Rivermen

By Trenten Scheidegger

CORRESPONDENT

The Durand-Pecatonica Rivermen found themselves in an all-time season opener when they faced off with the Stockton Blackhawks, last week.

In a game where the Rivermen trailed nearly the entire time, Du-Pec managed to come out on top when it mattered most.

The Du-Pec offense did get off to a hot start, however.  Early in the first quarter, the Rivermen took a quick lead when quarterback, Cooper Hoffman, broke free down the right sideline for a long touchdown run.   A successful conversion had the Rivermen up 8-0 just four minutes into the game.

Stockton stole the momentum after that, however.  Late in the first, a passing touchdown by the Blackhawks had the game tied at 8-8.  Early in the second quarter, the Blackhawks took their first lead with another eight points on the board.

Midway through the second, the Rivermen found their way into the endzone, once again.  This time, Hoffman did it with his arm as he connected with sophomore, Justin Anderson, on a four-yard touchdown pass.

A failed conversion left Du-Pec trailing, however, as the Blackhawks held a 16-14 lead that lasted through halftime.

The third quarter featured more defensive prowess.  Neither the Rivermen nor the Blackhawks managed to get on the board in the third as the two-point lead held until the fourth quarter, setting things up for an exciting finish.

Although it was a great game up until that point, no one could have imagined what would come next.  Early in the fourth, Du-Pec made a drive deep into the redzone.  On fourth down, the Rivermen desperately needed someone to step up and make a play.

Enter Brody Black.  With the game on the line, Hoffman took the snap and rolled to the right.  In the back right corner, Black flashed his hand, letting his quarterback know he wanted a shot to make a play.  With pressure in his face, Hoffman sailed a pass high and outside.

On a ball that looked nearly uncatchable, Black soared up with an outstretched right hand and snagged the football on his fingertips.

After a short discussion by the refs, the touchdown signal came out, and the Rivermen took their first lead since the very first quarter.

The Du-Pec defense wasn’t going to let that play go to waste.  With over 10 minutes left to play, the Rivermen shut out the Blackhawks the rest of the way to ensure a 20-16 victory in their week one matchup.

The Rivermen aired it out in this one.  In 27 attempts, Hoffman completed fifteen passes for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Drew Williams was the favorite target, catching six passes for 46 yards.

Jaxon Diedrich led the pass catchers with three receptions for 67 yards.  Jaylen Noud racked up 33 yards on four receptions, as well.  Noud also had a fumble recovery in the game.  Black had just one catch in the game, but it wound up being the game winner.

The Rivermen have another tough matchup in week two as they travel to face off with Eastland-Pearl City on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.