Football Recap: Bryce Backus Key Part of Team Effort in Mustangs Win + How To Watch

By Team Reports Oct 5, 2025, 9:28am

Football Recap: Mitchell Mustangs vs. River Ridge Royal Knights

HOW TO WATCH: This game can be replayed on the NFHS Network, the official streaming partner of the FL High School Athletic Assn. (FHSAA) & Mitchell High School. Watch Full Replay

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Mitchell won the last time they faced River Ridge and things went their way on Friday too. The Mustangs strolled past the Royal Knights with points to spare, taking the game 37-21. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.

Daren Long

Rushing Yards

09/12/25 @ East Lake101
10/03/25 vs River Ridge83
09/19/25 @ Tampa Catholic73
09/05/25 vs Jefferson73
09/26/25 @ Land O' Lakes37

Mitchell's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Bryce Backus led the charge by picking up 153 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Backus also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up two sacks, making three total tackles, and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception. Daren Long handled things on the ground, rushing for 83 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Mitchell proved: they limited River Ridge to a paltry 1.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Ethan Andrews for the heroic effort on defense: he. Mitchell didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.9.

Mitchell didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Robert Dunning and Backus. Dunning got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

When it comes to explaining why River Ridge lost, don't look at Jonah Clouse. Despite the final result, he rushed for 63 yards and one TD.

Mitchell's record is now 5-2. As for River Ridge, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Looking ahead, Mitchell will challenge Wiregrass Ranch at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Bulls will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last. As for River Ridge, they will square off against Clearwater at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

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