Senior halfback Jeremiah Cheatom ran the ball 43 times for 277 yards, scoring three touchdowns for the Blue Waves as they extended their record to 3-1 on the season with a resounding 40-18 victory in Bay Shore.
The Marauders (2-2 Division II), who were ranked second in division before the season started, didn’t put up much of a fight as Riverhead dominated in all facets of the game. But no stat was more staggering than what Cheatom was able to do.
“We thought they were a little weak against the run,” said head coach Leif Shay. “So we were going to expose them with who we think is the best back in the Suffolk County.”
“We planned on giving Cheatom a heavy dose.”
Coach Shay didn’t expect Cheatom to get as many carries as he did but because of the success moving the ball, he didn’t see a reason to take him out. And Cheatom never even looked toward the sidelines to take him out; a sign that he’s getting stronger and healthier. Cheatom was held out of the second half against Central Islip last week because of a shoulder injury.
Even though he put forth a magnificent effort, Cheatom admitted after the game that his shoulder is still bothering him.
“It still hurts but I’m going to play through it,” Cheatom said. “I got people who support me and I’m going to support them back and give them my effort. And this is my last year as a Blue Wave.”
The Blue Waves played less like their regular selves Saturday; instead of an uptempo offensive attack, they chose to slow things down and control the clock.
“It goes against what we do,” Shay said. “But sometimes we just need to stop ourselves and play to the situation.”
On defense, the Blue Waves’ game plan was to prevent the big play, Shay said.
“They’ll go first down, second down, third down, touchdown,” he said. “We wanted them to earn every touchdown.”
Mike Van Bommel had another aggressive performance, leading the team in tackles (8) and recording a sack. Raheem Brown, Ryan Hubbard, and Ryan Harkin added five tackles each.
Safety Jaron Greenidge was involved in some heavy hitting plays, delivering a blow when necessary and dislodging the ball on many potential catches. Because of the safety rules in place, Greenidge has to be careful when faced with a defenseless receiver.
“No one sees me coming as a safety, so it’s basically like a free shot,” Greenidge said. “I gotta worry about not hitting the guy up high and leading with my shoulder. But if I get the timing right, I’ll get there sooner and possibly come away with an inteception.”
The Blue Waves now turn their attention to the playoff hunt. Shay says their goal is to win the next two out of three games, which would essentially guarantee a playoff bid.
Riverhead plays 4-0 Smithtown West next Saturday.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.
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