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Football: River Ridge 28, Pasco 25

 
Published Nov. 8, 2014

DADE CITY — A week after clinching its first-ever district title and first playoff berth since 1998, River Ridge closed the regular season Friday with a 28-25 win over perennial playoff contender Pasco. Earlier this week, the Pirates had their seven-year playoff run end in a three-way tiebreaker against Zephyrhills and Nature Coast.

"This is huge for our program," River Ridge coach Ryan Benjamin said. "Pasco is such a great program. There's so much history here."

Much as he has done all season, Chris Schwarz led the visiting Royal Knights. Already the owner of the school's single-season rushing record, the junior running back rushed for a single-game best of 317 yards and four touchdowns. That gave Schwarz 2,140 rushing yards this season.

"He's an animal," Benjamin said. "The thing that makes it so great is that he does it the right way. He's a 4.0 student and he's a workhorse."

River Ridge (9-1) got eight carries and 51 yards from Schwarz on its opening drive. No other player had a carry or received a pass. Schwarz added touchdown runs of 50 and 4 yards in the second quarter to help stake the Knights to a 21-14 halftime lead.

After the Pirates pulled within 21-17 on Brandon Ray's 32-yard field goal in the third quarter, Schwarz helped the Knights put the game away with a 71-yard scoring burst down the left sideline.

Pasco (6-5) made it close by scoring the lone points in the fourth. Grant Starling, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 195 yards, connected with Tyree Austin for a 70-yard touchdown play and Ray ran the ball into the right corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion.

Trailing 7-0, Pasco took a 14-7 lead on two second-quarter scores. Ray ran for a 7-yard touchdown and Jakiah Felder had a 12-yard touchdown run one play after Starling's 34-yard pass to Issac Johnson.