MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 29, 2000

RESERVE – A fellow known as “Mo” is a key figure in any football game, especially in the playoffs.

That’s “Mo” as in momentum.

Riverside had Mo on its side in its 41-7 victory over St. Thomas Aquinaslast Friday night in the quarterfinals, jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Onlyonce did it look like Mo would switch allegiance, after the Falcons recovered a Riverside fumble and Byron Robertson scored from 16 yards out. But the Rebels answered with a five-play, 63-yard drive capped by a15-yard touchdown run by Damian Melancon.

Riverside will look to bring Mo along for the ride when it makes the long trek to Farmerville for the state semifinals Friday night. The Rebels, atnumber two, are the highest seed left in Class 2A with a 13-0 record.

Farmerville, seeded sixth, enters the game with a 10-3 record.

Farmerville has a bit of momentum on its side, going into Friday night’s game riding a six-game winning streak. The Farmers’ last loss came inovertime at home against Ferriday Oct. 13, 21-20. The Farmers’ otherlosses came against Grambling and Haynesville, both of which made the Class 1A playoffs.

Farmerville got its revenge last Friday, winning at Ferriday, 14-0, in the quarterfinals. The victory was the Farmers’ fourth shutout of the seasonand the second of the playoffs. Farmerville opened the playoffs with a 24-0 win before defeating Livonia, 46-8.

Farmerville is led by a solid offensive line led by senior tackle Michael Wood, lineman Lee Traxler and tight end Michael Irvin. That line helpedjunior running back Taycho Cleveland run for 1,514 yards and 15 touchdowns during the regular season. Junior Kenneth Hauley is thequarterback. Another junior, Tomorrio Bilberry, is the top receiver andalso plays in the defensive backfield.

The defense is led by a linebacker corps of senior Ivory Holly and junior Demitri Carr. Junior tackles Jason Dixon and Chris Herrera lead the pushup front. The unit allowed just over 12 points per game this season.Cleveland is the fourth back that ran for over 1,300 yards this season to go against the Rebels. Riverside held the other three – Robertson, E.D.White’s Jonathan Becnel and North Vermilion’s Ray Boudreaux – to under 100 yards.

The latest effort was holding Robertson, the state’s all-time leading scorer, to 93 yards Friday. St. Thomas Aquinas, which had been averagingover 36 points per game, was held to 139 total yards and to under 20 points for just the second time all season. Joel Levin also got theRiverside defense on the scoreboard, returning an interception 35 yards for a score.

It was the Rebels that ran wild, gaining 244 yards on the ground. BrittWaguespack had 116 yards and a touchdown and Damian Melancon added 64 yards and two scores.

Both Riverside and Farmerville have been to the semifinals in the past three years. The Rebels went in 1998, defeating Loyola to advance to theClass 2A championship game. Farmerville went the year before, losing inthe semifinals.

Friday’s winner advances to the Nokia Sugar Bowl Superdome Classic, scheduled for next Friday at 5 p.m. The opposition will be the winner ofthe Many-Ouachita Christian game Friday night.

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