North Pocono vs Riverside Football Rivalry

On Aug. 25, 2016, before that night’s game, the Times-Tribune called it the 43rd meeting and wrote that Riverside led the series, 24-18. No. 10 Riverside was at No. 2 North Pocono. It was the debut for Riverside coach Ben Thomas. North Pocono won that night, 35-12.

The Aug. 28, 2016, athlete-of-the-week note had Matt Craig at 147 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns, a 55-yard kickoff return, a 17-yard punt return, and an interception. The first touchdown was a 7-yard run, and a 38-yard run in the third quarter put the game away.

On Sept. 14, 2012, Riverside won 57-47 at Trojan Stadium. The Times-Tribune put the game at 970 yards of total offense. Nick Dranchak threw for 474 yards and five touchdowns. David Sweetman had 359 yards of offense and five touchdowns. North Pocono led 34-21 after the first quarter. On Aug. 25, 2017, North Pocono won 42-19 at Riverside in a game the paper called nonconference. Fifth-ranked North Pocono scored the first five times it had the ball. Donny Blaine completed all five of his passes, including a 55-yard touchdown to Daniel Walsh. J.C. Gaughan had 112 yards on eight carries and four touchdowns.

On Oct. 9, 2020, Riverside won 19-13 at Trojan Stadium and left the sixth-ranked Trojans at 1-1. Sam Smith’s 10-yard touchdown made it 7-6 with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. Riverside took a 13-7 lead, then William Soma found Ty LaFave for a 75-yard touchdown and a 14-13 lead. Ryen Vassell intercepted in the end zone on fourth-and-goal at the 4. Michael Rickert’s 38-yard touchdown with 3:47 left made it 19-13. North Pocono drove to the 6, and Rickert broke up Soma’s pass.

The paper’s 43rd meeting means many games are missing from that list.

An Oct. 31, 2020, Times-Tribune lookback, in the items from 30 years earlier, has John Legg scoring from 1 yard in the second quarter in a 6-0 win over Riverside in November 1990. A Nov. 3, 2012, lookback, in the items from 20 years earlier, has John McShaffery catching four passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Riverside in November 1992.

An Aug. 26, 2023, lookback, in the items from 20 years earlier, has Nate Trolio scoring three touchdowns in Riverside’s 34-7 win in August 2003.