By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
ROSSVILLE -- Rossville senior star Torrey Horak was feeling really good Friday night, which was really bad for Riverton.
Coming off a shoulder injury Horak entered the game at quarterback late in the first half and immediately gave the Bulldawgs a lift on the way to a 56-14 romp past the Rams in a Class 2A quarterfinal.
"I feel good, I feel really good,'' said Horak, who saw his first action at quarterback in four games after being injured in Week 7 against Silver Lake. "Coach (Derick) Hammes and I had talked that I wasn't going to play much quarterback this week and then he goes, 'Hey Torrey, you're at quarterback.'
"The first play was a pass play and I think I had a little bit of jitters and then kind of settled in after that and we started playing really well.''
Horak immediately led Rossville on a scoring drive to open up a 21-6 halftime lead and the Bulldawgs outscored the Rams 35-8 in the second half to turn the game into a rout.
Corey Catron scored four touchdowns in Rossville's 56-14 Class 2A playoff romp past Riverton Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Horak's return at quarterback allowed senior Corey Catron to return to his natural position at running back and Catron scored four touchdowns to lead the Bulldawgs to their 11th straight win this season and 24th overall.
"It was really hard (being out), but we had all the trust in the world in Corey,'' Horak said. "Obviously he got us to this point and has played really well and he's finally back in his element where he can really shine. He played real well.''
Rossville never trailed after Trenton Barker scored on a 16-yard run at the 2:55 mark of the first quarter (Pedro Arantes kick) and Kaden Brown put the Bulldawgs in front 14-0 on a 1-yard run from Kaden Brown (Arantes kick) with 2:31 left in the half.
Kaden Brown (16) scored a pair of touchdowns in Rossville's 56-14 Class 2A playoff win over Riverton Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Riverton (8-3) got on the scoreboard on an 84-yard run from Derek Larison at the 1:48 mark of the second quarter but Horak came on to direct Rossville on a scoring drive, with Catron scoring from 5 yards out with just 44 seconds left in the half (Arantes kick).
"We needed a little pick-me-up there and he did a great job,'' Hanmes said of Horak. "We're glad to have him back.
"Once he ran a few and kind of got his legs under him a little bit we just decided to get him back.''
Catron added a pair of touchdowns and a 2-point conversion in the third quarter to put the Bulldawgs in command, 35-6.
Then after the Rams scored their final touchdown of the night on the first play of the fourth quarter Rossville got a 10-yard TD from Catron, an 8-yard run from Brown and a 24-yard run from Braiden Hensley. Arantes added extra points after all three fourth-quarter Rossville scores.
"I think the speed and the tempo that we play at, I think that can wear teams out and I think that probably happened more than anything,'' Hammes said.
With Friday's win the defending 2A state champs advanced to a sub-state matchup with rival Silver Lake next Friday night at Rossville,.
The 9-2 Eagles advanced with a 33-27 win over previously undefeated Wellsville.
Rossville edged Silver Lake 24-19 in the first meeting between the Bulldawgs and the Eagles.
ROSSVILLE 56, RIVERTON 14
Riverton (8-3) 0 6 0 8 -- 14
Rossville (11-0) 7 14 14 21 -- 56
First quarter
Rossville -- Barker 16 run (Arantest kick)
Second quarter
Rossville -- Brown 1 run (Arantes kick)
Riverton -- Larison 84 run (run failed)
Rossville -- Catron 5 run (Arantes kick)
Third quarter
Rossville -- Catron 1 run (kick failed)
Rossville -- Catron 4 run (Catron run)
Fourth quarter
Riverton -- Garrett 18 pass from Terry (Garrett pass from Terry)
Rossville -- Catron 10 run (Arantes kick)
Rossville -- Brown 8 run (Arantes kick)
Rossville -- Hensley 24 run (Arantes kick)
