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By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — A month ago, Riverside coach Mickey Roussel was disappointed in his team’s offensive performance in its jamboree win against West St. John.

Roussel had high expectations, he explained, after a strong finish to 2009 and eight returning offensive starters.

Today, that disappointment has evaporated. Riverside is rolling on offense—the Rebels have scored at least 40 points in every game this season, and are averaging 48.3 points per game overall. Riverside is 3-0 and ranked No. 4 in Class 2A.

Charged with slowing down the Rebel offense will be Fisher on Friday in the District 9-2A opener for both teams. Fisher is 3-0 this season, its most recent win coming at home over Crescent City, 21-12. This will be the fourth straight home game for the Gators, and Roussel expects to face a confident bunch.

“We know they’re undefeated and feeling pretty good about themselves,” said Roussel. “Both teams have momentum and obviously want to get to 4-0.”

The Rebel defense should have something of an advantage this week after its 57-32 win over Brusly Friday night. Brusly, like Fisher, is a Wing-T-based offense, making this the second straight week the Rebels have faced one.

“Facing it two weeks in a row, our defense is prepared for it,” said Roussel. “We need to clean up some things defensively, and we hope to see some improvement there on Friday.”

For the second straight year, Darnell Rachal had a big game against the Brusly (1-2). He rushed for 184 yards and a pair of scores on 21 carries, and completed 8-of-12 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas Crouch was also key, rushing for 80 yards and three scores on 13 carries. Nate Williams ran five times for 55 yards and a touchdown. Austin Vicknair caught four passes for 78 yards.

The Rebels (3-0) outgained Brusly 542-306 in total yardage.

While Rachal and Crouch have handled the heavy lifting for the Riverside offense, Roussel is quick to note the contributions of the surrounding cast. Vicknair, Williams, Lloyd Johnson, Dylan Martin and Tate Scioneaux have all produced when called upon this season. Williams, Martin and Scioneaux each scored Friday.

“They don’t get as many accolades, but they’re making the most out of their touches, and that’s a huge reason why we’ve been so productive this season,” said Roussel. “The line has improved each week. I can’t say enough about our offense as a whole. These guys allow us to be multi-dimensional.”