Riverview High football team hoping for different outcome in 4S-Region 4 final against Venice

SARASOTA — For the Riverview High football team, in the words of that noted American philosopher Yogi Berra, it's deja vu all over again.

Last season, the Rams lost to Venice High in the Class 4 Suburban-Region 4 final. Friday night, Josh Smithers' team gets a shot at redemption when it faces Venice in the regional final at Powell-Davis Stadium.

A Riverview victory would elevate it into the state's Final Four while snapping Venice's seven-game winning streak it enjoys over the Rams. And while it won't guarantee a Riverview victory, Smithers believes the gap between the two teams has narrowed.

Regional semifinals: Riverview, Booker, Venice, Cardinal Mooney reach final

"Absolutely, (the gap) is closer," he said. "They are good up front, on both sides of the ball. It's just different; they got a lot of new faces."

The scores of the last couple of meetings give credence to Smithers' words. During Venice's title season of 2021, John Peacock's team beat Riverview during the regular season 41-7, then 56-14 in the regional semifinals. But last season, Riverview lost by counts of 31-21, and then 35-15 in the regional final.

But in its game with Venice earlier this season, Riverview held a 14-7 lead before the green and white pulled away with three second-half touchdowns in a 35-14 win. A pass from Ram quarterback Braxton Thomas slipped through the fingers of his intended receiver and into those of Venice defensive back Charles Lester, whose return deep into Ram territory set up one of the scores.

"We had an opportunity to jump up by two touchdowns and didn't execute," Smithers said. "And when we presented them with the opportunities, they were able to jump on them. When you play a team like Venice, they're not going to beat themselves. You're not going to out-trick Venice, and you're not going to come out in a defense you've never played before and do well.

"You just sort of have to outplay them. You got to play with better effort, you got to be physical and tough. It boils down to there's going to be a couple of plays in that game Friday night, and we've got to make them. We can't drop a punt. We can't drop a pass that they intercept and return to the 5. Those are things that just can't happen."

While Riverview rushed for 271 yards and two TDs in its 35-14 loss to Venice, it passed for just 30 yards, the Rams' low for the season. But in the last three games, Thomas has thrown for 411 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 117 yards and scored once in Riverview's semifinal win over Manatee.

"I think Braxton Thomas might be one of the best players in Florida people don't know of," Smithers said. "I just think he does so many things that don't appear in the stat line. I think if he continues to play the way he's played the last couple of weeks, it gives us a chance to score points."

A lot of that responsibility will fall upon the shoulder pads of running back DJ Johnson, who has rushed for 1,532 yards and 21 touchdowns. The senior, who shared time in the backfield this season with Isaiah Belt, was the Rams' primary ball carrier against Manatee, rushing for 138 yards and three scores.

"He's a physical, strong runner with a great burst," Smithers said. "He can get those tough yards and break off the long ones." One improvement Smithers sees is Johnson being more patient and allowing his blocks to develop. "And then he finds a crease," Smithers said.

Riverview's defense will have its own set of concerns, starting with Venice running backs Alvin Johnson and Jamarice Wilder, and how their performances will affect those of quarterback Jadyn Glasser and wide receiver CJ Lewis. In the first meeting, the Rams didn't generate sufficient pressure on Glasser, who threw for 210 yards and a score. "You can't let a kid like that sit back (in the pocket)," Smithers said.

Steady production from Johnson and Wilder will make it even tougher for the Ram secondary to limit the impact of Lewis, Venice's top receiver with 39 catches for 728 yards and seven touchdowns. "He's the real deal," Smithers said. "You got to know where that guy is all the time. The kid is a matchup nightmare."

As would be another Riverview loss to Venice. But Smithers has been impressed with the resiliency displayed by his team. "We went through that three-game skid," he said, "and for our kids not to fall apart and actually come together and start playing maybe the best football we've played all year, it shows you the character of those young men.

"We'll see if we're the ones making the plays this time."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Riverview High hoping for different outcome vs. Venice in region football final