Football Preview: Raines Vikings vs. Riverside Generals
The Raines Vikings will play host again on Friday to welcome the Riverside Generals, where kickoff is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Raines knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Riverside likes a good challenge.
Two weeks ago, Raines got the win against Mainland by a conclusive 35-14. Considering the Vikings have won three matches by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Timothy Cole, who threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown. Andreus Cox was Cole's top target, picking up 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Raines' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Jucoby Marion.
Meanwhile, Riverside got themselves on the board against Ribault on Friday, but Ribault never followed suit. They strolled past the Trojans with points to spare, taking the game 14-0. Given the Generals' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 110th, while the Trojans are ranked 269th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Riverside was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 225 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Raines' victory bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Riverside, they pushed their record up to 3-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Raines has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 160.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Riverside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.6. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Raines came out on top in a nail-biter against Riverside when the teams last played back in September of 2023, sneaking past 26-24. Will Raines repeat their success, or does Riverside have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
