Sumner vs Riverview High School

In the battle of two Riverview schools, the 7A Quarterfinal between Sumner and Riverview didn’t disappoint. Led by USF legendary EDGE rusher George Selvie, the Stingrays are headlined by Rutgers CB Commit Jameris Conyers, who also doubles as their QB. Additionally, Delaware WR commit Taesean Robinson, and 4-star OL/DL George Selvie III have been major contributors for this Sumner squad as well.  

In his second season under the helm, Coach Selvie has led his Stingrays to a 9-2 record, with several D1 players being key contributors. On the opposing sideline, the Rams are led by Head Coach Mark Cristiani, whose leadership has brought a resurgence to the RHS program.  

A battle-tested O-Line and a dynamic RB core has brought the Rams towards the top of the state rushing standings, which has created an offensive output that consistently puts up 40+.  The Rams would combat Sumner’s star power with a variety of situational clutch plays. Down 7-0 in the first quarter, an RHS punt would turn into a takeaway after a Sumner special teams blunder. Next, coming into the third quarter facing a two-score deficit, Jr TE/EDGE Miles Przekwas swung the momentum in Riverview’s favor with a 27-yard touchdown reception where he refused to be tackled.  

On the following possession, as the Stingrays were driving into RHS territory, (Jr) Safety Gabarre Farlin picked off Conyers, sapping away Sumner’s chance to extend their lead. Immediately after Farland’s timely INT, James would light up the Ram Bowl with a 77-yard dash. After capping off the drive with a 2-yard TD from James, RHS would pull ahead 21-17 with 7:42 left in the 3rd quarter.  However, Conyers’ dual-threat ability proved to be too much to handle; after multiple short gains which helped to move the chains, Conyers would demonstrate his power-4 talent by firing an absolute dart down the left sideline to extend the drive.  James would play as advertised, rushing for 200 yards and 2 scores on the ground. 2 plays later, Conyers would punch it in himself to give the Stingrays a 24-20 lead. After a punt from RHS, Sumner would yet again drive deep down the field, capitalizing on a personal foul penalty to extend their lead to 10. After both teams traded uneventful possessions, Parker Nippert’s offense was in dire need of a touchdown. After (So) Ashton Clough received a punt return at the RHS 41, Nippert climbed the pocket and dropped a dime into the hands of Anthony Miller, placing the Rams into the red zone. This excitement would be short-lived though, as the Stingrays would jump the subsequent pass, which allowed them to run out the remaining clock and clinch their spot in the state semi-finals. Sumner’s relentless pass rush, paired with Conyers’ ability to beat the defense with his arm and his legs, ultimately carried the Stingrays over the edge. Facing a Venice roster with blue-chips across the board, Black Friday’s matchup between the Stingrays and Indians appears to be a classic in the making.  

While Sumner looks to move on to the State finals with a win over Venice this upcoming Friday, Riverview looks forward to the future. While much of this years’ production will be lost to graduation, thus setting next year's success uncertain, Coach Cristiani has established a strong culture early into his tenure, which looks to be fruitful in the years to come.