Football Recap: Coby Hayes Leads Riverdale's Defense on Friday

Riverdale hadn't done well against Fort Myers recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Raiders were the clear victors by a 44-21 margin over the Green Wave. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won five games by 23 points or more so far this season.

Lovensky Blanchard

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/10/25 @ Fort Myers	207
11/22/24 @ Fort Myers	200
08/30/24 vs South Fort Myers	200
09/13/24 @ Mariner	168
09/27/24 vs East Lee County	144

It was another big night for Lovensky Blanchard, who rushed for 207 yards and three scores while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Those 207 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.

Riverdale's run defense was locked in: Fort Myers could only muster 2.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Coby Hayes for the heroic effort on defense: he. Riverdale's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.2.

Riverdale's defense also made the game a nightmare for Dom Ardezzone, racking up 8.5 sacks. Hayes led the group effort, picking up three of those sacks all by himself. Kaleb McIntyre also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with eight.

Although Fort Myers took the loss, they still got scores from Omari Harris, Bryson Glover, and Trevon Moate.

The victory made it two in a row for Riverdale and bumps their season record up to 6-1. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.0 points over those games. As for Fort Myers, they are on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-6.

Riverdale has already played their next contest, a 25-15 victory against Cape Coral on the 17th. As for Fort Myers, they will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on East Lee County at 7:30 p.m. on the 24th. The Green Wave will be up against the Jaguars' rather soft defense (which has allowed 47.29 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.