Riverside football had posted just two wins each of the previous two years and came into the 2019 season with only two all league players returning.  The Cyclones returned only one starting lineman and new first-year Head Coach Bryce Paden opted to have a few skill positions players change positions coming into this campaign.  They also decided on starting a sophomore quarterback, then had helped the JV team finish 4-0 last year.

After a season opening 14-13 win against Hiawatha, the Cyclones were humbled with a 50-0 loss against the two-time defending 3A champs from Sabetha.  Yet, Riverside bounced back and whipped another Big 7 foe in Royal Valley 42-14 in week before heading into 2A District action.  

The 28-27 win at MH-MA certainly turned some heads and it came in dramatic come from behind fashionon Friday night in Atchison. The Ravens (3-0) were coming off a huge NEKL 18-14 fourth quarter comeback win at Jackson Heights and led 14-7 after one quarter and was ahead of Riverside 21-14 at halftime.   Quarterback Jack Caudle ran for his third rushing score of the game, but the kick failed, to put MH-MA ahead 27-14 early in the third frame. 

Since the Cyclones have trailed in every game so far this season, the team remained confident and pulled within 27-21 on a 29 yard pass from Kobe Davis to Bradley Libel.  The score held until the closing minute of the game when Riverside got the football back. In the closing seconds, Davis found Connor Hayes on a corner route for a 40-yard TD pass and Yegor Dittemore booted through his fourth PAT of the night to give the Cyclones a huge district road win and 3-1 start to their season.  

Davis ran for a 50 yard touchdown and tossed a trio of touchdown passes, completing just 14 of 32 passes for 210 yards and overcoming three interceptions.  Isaac Webb caught the first touchdown of the game (61 yards) to give Riverside a 7-0 lead and finished with 104 yards on five receptions while also the leading the Cyclones in tackles. Caudle was 10-19 for 141 yards and an interception in MH-MA first loss of the season.  

Coach Bryce Paden said, "At the beginning of the year we tried breaking our schedule down into two seasons. We knew it would be important to start fast during our non-district games for the mental sake of our boys. Moving into district play this week, we liked the way our guys have been playing and we all felt confident heading to Atchison last night. Our kids wanted to make some noise and they had the opportunity to play a very good Maur Hill team that was projected by many to win our district. When you win a game against an opponent of that caliber in the fashion that we did, the kids start to believe in all that we have been preaching and it's certainly pushing our program in the right direction. We are so happy for our upper-classmen to feel success as well as creating the building blocks for our program moving forward."  

Now, Riverside certainly has the attention of Northeast Kansas and looks for their first winning football season since 2014.  The Cyclones are 1-0 in district play with a remaining district schedule against teams that all 2-2 or worse.  Riverside travels to face ACCHS (1-3) next this Friday in Effingham.