Troy Trojans aim to extend dominance over Riverside in historic showdown

By Calvin Silvers

The Troy Trojans enter Week 6 with an impressive 4-1 record, coming off a commanding victory against rival Doniphan West, winning by a score of 54-13. Now, all eyes turn to the Riverside Cyclones, as these two teams prepare to clash again in one of the oldest rivalry games in Kansas.

Typically, these teams compete in non-league matchups or wait for districts. However, this year’s inter-league contest elevates the stakes, making this game more significant than in years past.

“I think Riverside has four wins, I think maybe they only had two last year, so they’ve doubled their win total,” Troy head coach Derek Jasper said. “Two great starts to the programs. but you know, this game does decide a lot maybe in the district, and whether we have a home playoff game.”

The history between these two teams is rich and storied, as the two were once Delaware Valley League rivals, and are now back in the same league again with Riverside moving to the Northeast Kansas League this year after an 11-year stint and Troy joining the league after being in the Twin Valley League.

The two weren’t strangers in their time in different leagues, playing each other the past two seasons, as Troy came out victorious in both meetings, dominating 65-0 in 2022 and winning 26-14 last season.

“It’s always been a thing, it’s been generational,” senior Gannon Bowe said. “Even when they were Elwood and Wathena, you know, it’s just always been a nice match-up.”

Despite winning the previous two, this is a new season for Troy, and they’ll need to contend with the speed and athleticism that the Cyclones bring to the field. While the Trojans face challenges with size differences, they believe their physicality can provide a crucial advantage this week.

“We have a huge line and they’ve got two huge guys that are going to run the ball at us that are big and physical,” Jasper said. “It’ll be whether we can be physical in the trenches to hold up against their run game and for us to be able to run the ball.”

For Riverside, they are balanced with the run and the pass, but quarterback Beckham Griffin has been feeling himself this season, passing for 598 yards and nine touchdowns.

You also can’t forget wide receiver Ty’Zell Harrington, as he has 355 yards receiving and four of Griffin’s passing touchdowns.

“It’s exciting for me because at corner(back) it gives me a chance to make some plays and then as a team, we’re just ready to show that we can stop the run effectively,” Bowe said.

It’s not just the physicality that will have to be shown, but also whoever can limit the turnovers could have the biggest advantage.

“They’ve had a few turnovers the last couple of weeks that have hurt them,” Jasper said. “We’ve turned the ball over some because we throw it around so much, you know, we’re liable to throw an interception, but if anybody turns the ball over two or three times, I think it’d be very hard to win.”

As the team prepares for this contest, the team is ready to showcase to the community they want to keep the wins in this series on the Troy side.

“This will probably be the biggest game of the year,” Bowe said. “It’ll be our toughest home game for sure, a loud crowd is exciting and gets everyone and everyone pumped.”