By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Riverside’s season came to an end at the hands of a familiar foe on Friday night, as John Curtis rolled into the state semifinals on the back of a 35-7 win over the Rebels at Muss Bertolino Stadium in Kenner in a Class 2A quarterfinal game.

Top ranked Curtis (12-0) is on to host fourth ranked St. Charles this Friday night for a trip to the Superdome.

Unlike Curtis’ district matchup with Riverside (8-5), in which the Patriots’ offense was held in check despite a lopsided final, Curtis rolled in every which way on Friday night. The Patriots rushed for 239 yards and passed for 121.

“They’re a lot better now than they were in our first meeting,” said Roussel. “They turn it up a notch in the playoffs.”

The Rebels’ Darnell Rachal completed 10-of-17 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions. Austin Vicknair caught four passes for 45 yards.

Torrey Pierce got Curtis going early, scoring on a 29-yard run at the 8:14 mark of the first quarter.

“We missed a couple of assignments, and when we did they made us pay. It’s what they do,” said Roussel.

Pierce scored for a second time in the quarter, this time from 22 yards out with 2:50 remaining to push the lead to 14. He finished with 80 yards on 11 carries.

The Patriots went ahead by 21 in the second quarter by dialing up a play through the air, Bryce Jenkins finding Darion Allen on a 20-yard touchdown pass.

That play was set up by a Jonathan McKnight punt return to the Riverside 20.

Jenkins ran it in himself with 2:59 left in the third, keeping on a 4-yard run to make it 28-0. He’d connect with McKnight in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard scoring pass to round out Curtis’ offensive night.

JCC forced four RA turnovers in the game.

“We were just a little outmanned,” said Roussel.

Riverside’s Lloyd Johnson scored his team’s lone touchdown on a 3-yard run.

Roussel, in his first season back with the team after a season-long sabbatical, said the loss doesn’t quell his feeling that the Rebel program is heading in the right direction after a pair of short-lived playoff stays in 2007 and 2008.

“To go from losing in the first round two years in a row, to finding yourself in the final eight, beating an eight and a nine seed, there’s no shame in that,” he said.

“The goals for this team will be set really high for next year. I can’t thank these seniors enough for setting the bar.”