Mistakes, offensive struggles doom Person in loss at Riverside

Person managed 36 net yards after that opening drive, including just 11 in the second half, as it lost, 35-13, Friday at Riverside.

“We didn’t do a good job blocking up front,” Rockets (2-2) head coach Carl Smith Jr. said. “Riverside is different than Granville Central. Guys up front tonight were better than they were last week. It really wasn’t just the big guys on the inside, it was us communicating on how to get to the backers.”

C.J. Hunt gave Person its early lead on a trick play.

Just three minutes into the game, Julian Crawley came running behind the offensive line. Rocket quarterback E.J. Palmer faked the handoff to him, then put the ball in Hunt’s stomach.

Hunt found his open running lane and sprinted 40 yards through the middle of the Riverside defense untouched for the score.

“He’s a good running back and he’s got great vision,” Smith said. “We like what he does in the open field with the ball in his hand.”

Though he led the Person offense with 44 yards on 17 carries, Hunt only gained one net yard in the second half.

Crawley, the Rockets’ explosive wide receiver, only gained one yard on a catch and three rushes.

Palmer attempted a season-high nine passes, but Riverside limited him to three completions. The Pirates’ defense also sacked him twice.

The Rockets managed just three first downs – the first coming on a roughing the punter penalty on the opening drive, one on a 21-yard Kiryce McCain run in the first quarter, then another when Stephon Jones took the ball 10 yards in the fourth quarter.

“We just didn’t do a good job executing,” Smith said.

Person found the scoreboard again early in the second half, when junior safety Jason Phillips picked off a Collin Hurdle pass midway through the third quarter, eyed his path and raced the Riverside defense 65 yards to the end zone.

“That play speaks on who he has been since he’s gotten here,” Smith said. “This is his first year playing. He’s been a golden find.”

Hurdle, who played his first two years of high school football at Person, enjoyed racked up 142 yards through the air with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Pirates’ senior signal caller also had a long run that helped set up a first-half score. Hurdles nearly threw added a couple of more touchdowns to his total, only for receivers to drop passes or penalties call them back.

His first touchdown came on a 37-yard strike to Christoffer Hairston Jr., who extended the Pirates lead to 22-7 just minutes before halftime.

Hurdle found the end zone again early in the fourth, when he connected with Corey Winston for seven yards and extended the hosts’ lead to 30-13.

Riverside drove late in the fourth and ended their drive with points, when Zoe Cordell became the first female in school history to score by drilling a 25-yard field goal in the final minute.

The Rockets never found that same rhythm and, just like in their home loss to Halifax, committed a couple of costly mistakes.

After taking the early 7-0 lead, former Rocket Chad Raglin took the proceeding kickoff down to the Person 5-yard line.

Person jumped offside two plays later, then Riverside running back Darrion Lane punched it in for the host’s first score.

The Rockets appeared on the verge of closing their 16-7 gap in the second quarter, forcing a fumble and setting up shop at the Pirates 35 with five minutes left in the half.

Riverside took the ball right back, marching 71 yards and scoring on Hairston’s long touchdown reception.

Person found itself down 32-13 in the final quarter, though it was on the Pirate 45.

A personal foul turned that once-promising drive into a turnover on downs.

“Every mistake hurts, especially when you turn the ball over,” Smith said. “You can’t do it against a good team. Most of the errors we made were completely our fault, not necessarily something Riverside was doing. There were a couple times, however, where they just made good plays.”