Matt Vines

EAST POINT – Every single football team in Louisiana is chomping at the bit to play games that count in the standings, but at Riverdale Academy, the feeling is even more amplified.
That’s because the Rebels are combining the first regular season game feelings with that of playing its rival.

Riverdale opens its regular season Friday by welcoming Claiborne Academy in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

“The first game on the schedule is always the focal point through the summer, but when it’s a rival, you expect an added interest,” said Riverdale coach Nathan Edie. “You always want to start the season off with a W, but to be over a rival would definitely add a positive spark.”

There were some positive sparks in Riverdale’s jamboree this past week against Prairie View Academy and Union Christian Academy, but one storyline from last season has already surfaced.

A small Riverdale roster is already dealing with injuries.

Starters Tanner Carlisle and Zane Givens went down with injuries, and Edie is hoping everybody is back for the rivalry game.

The 2024 season was marked by recurring injuries to quarterback/linebacker Ashton Almond, which forced Riverdale to change its offense and left a big hole on defense.

But Almond is cranked up and ready to go for his senior season, leading a group of seven seniors on the 14-player roster.

“Ashton is motivated this year, and he knows the role he needs to fill for this team to be successful,” said Edie, who is aiming to improve on a 5-6 record from this past season after winning nine games in 2023. “I thought we came out and competed in our first series on offense against PVA.

“We had some positive plays, but we also looked like a team who doesn’t have the ability to do a lot of hitting in practice. We battled in our two series against UCA, but it showed we have work to do.”

The Rebels, who won a first-round playoff game against Union Christian this past season, will have tough sledding against a Claiborne squad that won eight games and returns its top three scorers from last year.
Quarterback Kyler Monk led the team in passing and rushing while Dylan Buckner and Maddox Gaston were the team’s other top rushers and receivers.

“It’s a two-headed monster in their backfield as Monk and Buckner are both great athletes who can get in the end zone on any play,” Edie said. “If we can compete at the line of scrimmage, then we’ll have a good night.”

Riverdale must replace captain Logan Gryder on the line as well as the versatile weapon Kaidyn Williams, but the Rebels do return a wealth of experience throughout its roster.

The biggest question will be if Riverdale has enough depth, especially in the early-season heat, to match its opponents for four quarters.

“We spent most of the summer with 12 players and got three new players at the start of school, so we’ll get those late comers acclimated,” Edie said. “We’ve definitely focused on conditioning as much as possible this summer knowing that we’re going to be asking a lot of each individual this season.”