The Sharks are smelling blood in the water after a very successful 2023 campaign. The team made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and won their first district game since 2018.
Riverview High School has improved every year under head coach Tony Rodriguez since he took over the program in 2022. The team went from 5-5 to 7-4, last season and lost to Sumner High School in the first round of the playoffs. The Sharks will have a much tougher schedule this season but are in a new, manageable district with Bloomingdale, Bartow and Durant. They will end the season at home versus powerhouse Armwood High School on Friday, November 1.
Rodriguez and his team are battle-tested and ready for 2024. They gained a lot of experience playing tough teams like Sumner and Durant in their district last season. They beat archrival East Bay for the first time in 14 years.
The Sharks will have to replace two-year starting quarterback Aaron Turner, who had over 1,000 passing yards last year. Senior transfer Rod Mack looks to fill the part. The former Jefferson High School starting quarterback blew out his knee, tore his ACL and had a bad infection a few years ago, and he is making his comeback with Riverview. He joined the team at the beginning of this year and was able to participate in spring and summer camps. Rodriguez said that Mack is a great athlete who also runs track and reminds him of a “Michael Vick-type player.” He has a lot of charisma and will be a team captain. Mack is a dual threat who is patient in the passing game, can run read option and can break the pocket and run when the play breaks down as well.
Senior running back Andrew Lee will take the bulk of the carries this year. He is a team captain and can squat over 500 pounds in the weight room. Senior receiver Isaiah ‘Showtime’ Washington is still recovering from an ACL injury in last year’s playoff game and will be back four or five games into the season. Senior tight end Julian Arthurs, who received an offer from Southeastern University, will miss the first couple of games with a hamstring injury. They will rely heavily on senior receiver Cole Berger until those other players get back from their injuries.
The head coach likes his offensive line. He said that most of them have played together for three years and will play some defensive line as well. He thinks that his team can improve defensively as they gain more experience throughout the season. They have five returning starters on defense and three on offense.
“I’ve been coaching these guys since they were freshmen and sophomores, and so I want to enjoy their last year of football because I’ve known them for so long now,” said Rodriguez. “These are my guys.” The team motto this season is “count on me.”
Rodriguez and his program are in need of coaches. If you are interested in helping, contact him at 813-952-3132.
Schedule:
8/23 @ Hillsborough
8/30 @ RSHS
9/6 vs. Middleton
9/13 @ Plant City
9/20 vs. Newsome
9/27 @ Durant
10/10 vs. Bartow
10/18 @ East Bay
10/25 vs. Bloomingdale
11/1 vs. Armwood
You must be logged in to post a comment.