Game Time Blog

Welcome to the News & Messenger Friday Night Football Game Time Blog.

By DAVE UTNIK

Game: Riverbend Bears vs. Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

PREVIEW

BEAR SIGHTING: Hey Boo Boo. Is that a pic-a-nick basket? No. It’s a playoff football game and there are bears everywhere. The Riverbend Bears are in the Northwest Region, Division 6 playoffs for the first time in school history. The Bears (8-2) are led by quarterback Zac Naccarato, who has thrown for 1,460 yards and14 TDs. Riverbend scored a season-high 56 points in a win over Spotsylvania and has scored 30 or more points on five other occasions.

WHERE’S THE OFF?: The Yellow Jackets are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, after going 8-2. Quarterback Dominique Terrell has combined for nearly1,600 yards of total offense.

BLOG UPDATE: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL? Apparently not. The home stands at Osbourn Park aren’t anywhere near full. In fact, at kickoff there were barely a couple hundred folks in attendance. The Bears brought more fans from Spotsylvania County, nearly packing the visiting bleachers. 

SCORING UPDATE: In a shocking development, Dominique Terrell has scored a touchdown. That’s only happened five previous times in 10 games, but his 11-yard scamper into the end zone has OP out in front 7-0 in the opening quarter.

SCORING UPDATE: Riverbend’s passing attack is as good as advertised. Nicky Lacik caught a 14-yard pass from quarterback Zac Naccarato to tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter.

SCORING UPDATE: Terrell has done it again. The Bears can’t keep up with the Jackets’ junior tonight. He just went 65 yards down the right sideline for his seventh touchdown of the season. It’s now OP 14, RIVERBEND 7 with 8:04 left in the second quarter.

BLOG NOTE: If Osbourn Park wins tonight, at least one Prince William County team is guaranteed a spot in the Division 6 region finals. The Jackets would play at Woodbridge next weekend in the region semifinals. Franklin County will play at Battlefield in the other semifinal, while Osbourn has advanced in Division 5.

SCORING UPDATE: The Yellow Jackets are a lot faster than Riverbend and that quickness is becoming a clear advantage. Chris Mason capped another scoring drive with a 3-yard TD run—a play set up by a 20-yard run by Terrell. With 5:00 remaining before halftime, it’s OP 21, RIVERBEND 7.

HALFTIME: OP 21, RIVERBEND 7

BLOG UPDATERiverbend head coach Todd Campbell was an assistant for Lou Sorrentino at Culpeper and Hylton. Riverbend assistant Mike Nelms played for the Washington Redskins from 1980-84. His son, Kirk, is a kick returner just like his dad—and also the Bears’ leading rusher tonight.

HALFTIME STATS: Brought to you by Yankees fan Joe Conroy:

Rushing: Riverbend - Kirk Nelms 5-18. OP - Dominique Terrell 10-147
Passing: Riverbend - Zac Naccarato 6-10-0, 78 yards, 1 TD; Terrell 2-3-0, 44 yards
Receiving: Riverbend - Nicky Lacik 2-23; OP - Chris Mason 1-33.

BLOG UPDATE: And we’re back for what is sure to be an exciting second half of high school football. Of course, that all depends on your definition of excitement. It’s all relative really. This isn’t Twilight: New Moon or anything but Kristen Stewart can’t be everywhere.

NON-SCORING UPDATE: The Bears failed to score after reaching the 6 yard line. Three running plays actually wound up losing three yards and then Nicky Lacik dropped a touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone on fourth down. 

SCORING UPDATE: Following a quarter where absolutely nothing good happened it’s still OSBOURN PARK 21, RIVERBEND 7. Of course, the Yellow Jackets are about to score again. They have the ball 1st and goal at the 9 yard line. Stay tuned for another update expected to follow in mere minutes.

AS PROMISED UPDATE: It took OP just one play to score so it was actually seconds rather than minutes. Chris Mason ran 9 yards for the TD. Jackets 28, Riverbend 7.

BLOG UPDATE: Are football fields supposed to be brown? The playing surface at OP has to be one of the worst in the nation. No wonder this game was postponed twice because of rain. There isn’t a single blade of green grass anywhere within either end zone. Good thing this is the final home game. Time to get some turf builder from Home Depot.

BLOG UPDATE: If it was up to the fans sitting underneath the press box window, OP would “bring the dogs” on every play. At least the playbook could be copied fairly quickly. It would look like this: First down: “Bring the Dogs”, Second down “Bring the Dogs” Third down “Bring the Dogs” (this time from the outside). Then, punt and repeat. High school fans are great.

After OP was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with 8 seconds left, Riverbend’s Mitch Ratcliff scored from 10 yards out of the final play of the game

FINAL SCORE: OSBOURN PARK 28, RIVERBEND 13