Showdown in Transition: Green vs. Riverside Game Preview
Green looks to bounce back after a narrow loss, while Riverside aims to build on their Week 1 success under new head coach Jeremy Ishmael.
The Green Bulldogs will take on the Riverside’s Beavers at home this Friday.
The Bulldogs lost a close game to Dover in week one, where missed opportunities led to their defeat.
The Beavers won their week one contest against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, and did so with a new head coach.
Here’s everything you need to know before they play this Friday.
The Riverside Beavers are Navigating a New Era
Riverside football head coach Dave Bors stepped down from his position in April following a 14-year tenure. As head coach of Riverside football, Bors had an impressive 85-64 record, including a 52-38 record in conference play. He led the Beavers to six playoff appearances, five postseason victories, and the program’s first-ever playoff win in 2018. Over the last three seasons alone, Riverside posted a 28-10 record, becoming a consistent contender.
Jeremy Ishmael, a member of the Riverside Beavers football coaching staff, has stepped into the role of head coach after serving as the Defensive Coordinator since 2012. Ishmael has been pivotal in shaping a defense that was the second-best in the Western Reserve Conference in 2023 and has consistently ranked among the top three defenses over the past decade. His defensive units have been known for their playmaking ability, having 102 takeaways and scoring 17 defensive touchdowns in recent years.
Ishmael’s new-look Beavers had a strong season debut against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (NDCL), winning 31-7. The game was run by Riverside's defense, where they forced four turnovers. Kyndall McCaleb led the offense with over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore quarterback Bo Brandehoff threw two touchdown passes.
2023 Season:
Overall Record: 10-3
Conference Record: 3-2
Playoff Finish: Division II Regional Semifinal
Home Winning Streak: Continued 16-game home winning streak (dating back to 2021)
Playoff Record: 2-1 (2023)
Players to Watch:
Cayden Calogar: Calogar, a senior, will start on both the offensive and defensive lines. Cayden’s wrestling background and senior leadership will only lift Riverside’s game.
Kyndall McCaleb: McCaleb, a junior halfback, will make significant contributions both as a ball carrier and receiver. His ability to make plays with the ball will be a key factor for the Beavers.
Donovan Cowell: Cowell, a senior safety, runs the Riverside defense. Coverage from the secondary runs through him, and he’s fast on his feet. This true athlete will be a difference maker for his team.
Green Face Setbacks but Show Promise
Green’s road trip to Dover’s Crater Stadium ended on two touchdowns from the Crimson Tornado in the final three minutes. While Dover were able to recover an onside kick to ultimately score the game-sealing touchdown, Green had control of the game in the final three minutes.
“The frustrating part about losing is all the things that happened are all things we could’ve controlled. We had probably eight opportunities in the final half of the fourth quarter to put the game away, you know…crucial penalties, special teams errors, some things offensively we weren’t successful with,” Green head coach Mark Geis said.
Settling down during crucial moments was a struggle for the Bulldogs.
“Our discipline was definitely something I was perturbed about, [and it’s something] we have to improve on.” Geis said.
This is not a game that defines Green’s future, though. Green’s upside this year is a stronger running game than years past. Mark Geis’s offense mustered 228 rushing yards as a team; junior Evan Reed had 126 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, junior Anthony McMichael III had 53 yards and a touchdown, and junior quarterback Tyson Hunka had 49 yards on ten carries.
“It just makes us more multidimensional and able to attack you in different ways. It definitely makes us better and harder to prepare for. When we were only a five-wide offense, I think people figured out the puzzle and figured out how to defend us. At times we didn’t have answers, and now with our offense we have answers depending on what a defense does to us.” Geis said.
Of course, missing two key pieces on both sides doesn’t help the Bulldogs. Senior second team all-Ohioan Antonio Martin is projected to get back in the gameplan in a few weeks after he re-injured his ACL in the basketball season. Martin’s elusive unpredictability added a level of depth to an already complex Green offense, and seniors like Kaden Gregory and Brock Kuznik have stepped in to fill his role as a receiver.
Senior Michael Schaal’s 2023 season earned him first team all-Ohio honors, and his 2024 season is yet to begin also due to an ACL injury suffered outside of football; however, there are plenty of faces to fill the gaps Schaal’s injury and senior departures left.
“Some of the ones that’re crucial for us are up front…We’re basically a whole new offensive line…Dario [Lombardi], Zain Alqadhi, Cam White, and even Wyatt Knowlton are in some new roles this year or they’re [now] playing on Friday nights when they weren’t before; and that just takes time to get used to the change of speed, it’s a different level of play.” Geis said.
Adapting on defense will be the difference for the Bulldogs.
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