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Riverbank Rolling With Momentum After Gridiron Win
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Everything seemed to come together when it needed to and the Riverbank Bruins walked off the field with their first football win of the season, dismantling the Delhi Hawks over the second half of play for a 20-0 victory on Sept. 26 in Delhi.

The Bruins struggled throughout the game's opening two periods, but found the right chemistry when they needed it, keeping the Hawks off of the scoreboard for their first shutout of the young season.

"If you would have asked me was I pleased at halftime I'd have said no," Riverbank head coach Paul Smith said. "If you asked me at the end of the game I was pleased.

"Our defense kept doing a great job, they really kept us in it."

Riverbank used a tenacious defensive effort to baffle the Hawks into countless mistakes, only the Bruins were unable to capitalize on Delhi's misfortunes due to constant errors on their own behalf.

Bruin playmaker Donovan Wallace changed the Bruins misfortunes at a moment's notice, breaking loose on the second-half opening kickoff for an 85-yard touchdown and handing Riverbank all the momentum they would need.

With points comfortably sitting on the scoreboard Riverbank turned to its defensive front to usher the squad to their first victory of the season.

"The big adjustment we made was moving Jose Moreno back to nose guard and he just started blowing everything up," Smith said. "That was really the big difference. Coach (Rudy) Serrato was mixing up the blitz packages real well.

"Jose really had a monster night."

Moreno was not the only Bruin to stand out on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive stalwart Casey DeYoung made his presence felt during the Bruins road victory as well.

"We moved Casey from defensive end to linebacker," Smith said of the junior standout. "He's been there for only a few weeks, so he's still adjusting. He turned in 10 solo tackles and two assisted.

"He just tore it up."

Riverbank also saw Wallace continue his impressive debut on the football scene, breaking another big play in the fourth quarter as he hit the left sideline and raced to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown run.

Riverbank would add another score late when the defensive unit struck again, blasting the Delhi quarterback in the end zone and celebrating as David Diaz recovered the fumble for a touchdown.

The Bruins will have to keep their focus intense as the ever-present distractions of the Homecoming festivities become a part of the Bruins' lives for this calendar week. Riverbank will play host to the Waterford Wildcats on Friday, Oct. 3 at Riverbank High in the culmination of Homecoming Week.

"What I am really seeing now," Smith said, "is these guys are really starting to learn how to play this game. We are so inexperienced it's ridiculous. Waterford is having a tough go at it, but you cannot underestimate them. That will probably be the biggest thing to overcome this week.

"I think they're one of the better teams in the Southern League this year and we absolutely cannot take them lightly."