Riverside Tops Royal Valley 42-30, Claims First NEKL Football Title
The Riverside Cyclones closed out the regular season in impressive fashion Friday night, defeating Royal Valley 42-30 in an entertaining, back-and-forth contest.
The victory secured Riverside the No. 2 spot in the district standings and a home game in Week 9 of the playoffs. Royal Valley, meanwhile, finished in the No. 3 spot in the district and will hit the road for its opening-round playoff matchup.
The Cyclones also made history Friday night. McLouth’s loss to Jefferson County North officially secured Riverside its first Northeast Kansas League (NEKL) football championship in school history, as the Cyclones finished undefeated in league play.
Riverside’s night got off to a rough start when the Cyclones fumbled the opening kickoff, giving Royal Valley excellent field position. The Panthers capitalized on the opportunity, as Manny Oliveira punched in a one-yard touchdown run to give Royal Valley an early 6-0 lead.
Keagan Hughes quickly helped Riverside erase the deficit. After the opening kickoff mishap, Hughes got another opportunity and made the most of it, returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. The score gave the Cyclones a 7-6 lead.
The teams traded blows throughout the second quarter, combining for four consecutive touchdowns in a high-scoring stretch. Royal Valley quarterback Ryker Warton accounted for a touchdown on the ground and another through the air, helping the Panthers take a 22-20 lead into halftime.
Riverside answered with a touchdown run from Charles Hewins and a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kobe Koehler to Hughes in the final 10 seconds of the half, keeping the Cyclones within striking distance.
Royal Valley opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, and Riverside took advantage. Hewins found the end zone for another touchdown, putting the Cyclones back in front, 28-22.
The Panthers pulled within one score early in the fourth quarter, but Riverside continued to find ways to move the ball and finish drives. The Cyclones strung together five consecutive touchdown drives spanning the second quarter into the fourth, ultimately doing enough to secure the 42-30 victory.
Hewins led the Riverside offense with a dominant performance, rushing for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Hughes also made a major impact, finishing with three receptions for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.
For Royal Valley, Oliveira led the rushing attack with 31 carries for well over 100 yards and two touchdowns. Landon Gilbert contributed four receptions for more than 40 yards and a touchdown.
With the regular season complete, both teams will turn their attention to the postseason.
Riverside enters the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in Class 2A East and will host Oskaloosa next Friday in the opening round.
Royal Valley, the No. 10 seed in Class 2A East, will travel to Baxter Springs for its first-round matchup.
The Cyclones will look to carry the momentum of a historic regular season into the playoffs after securing both a district advantage and the first NEKL football championship in program history.
**Photo Credit: Hannah Paden on X**
