Class 2A Championship Preview: East Robertson vs. Riverside

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">East Robertson Indians (13-1) vs. Riverside Panthers (12-2)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp;Chattanooga, TN (Finley Stadium)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>When:</strong> December 2nd, 3 pm Eastern</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Head Coaches</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Indians: Chase Brooks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Panthers: Johnnie Frost</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Top Players</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(LB) [player_tooltip player_id='332217' first='Elijah' last='Groves'] - East Robertson:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='332217' first='Elijah' last='Groves'] is a monster on the defensive side of the ball that is a tone setter. He is all over the field and will destroy ball carriers with some big hits. Good instincts and length which he uses to slip blocks and deconstruct at the point of attack vs offensive lineman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(RB) [player_tooltip player_id='497421' first='Isaiah' last='Groves'] - East Robertson:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='497421' first='Isaiah' last='Groves'] had a huge season running the ball for the Indians and is a big reason they are in the championship game. He showcases good vision to find the gap with good burst to break angles at the 2nd and 3rd level. Great out in space with his speed and elusiveness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(ATH) [player_tooltip player_id='820950' first='Zach' last='Groves'] - East Robertson:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='820950' first='Zach' last='Groves'] is one of the top players in the 2026 class with a great combination of size, length and athletic ability. He is a play maker vs the run with good instincts at the line of scrimmage with good physicality to finish. Good disruption ability, he gets into the backfield quickly to blow plays up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(ATH) [player_tooltip player_id='855562' first='Jagger' last='Cupples'] - Riverside:</strong> Cupples is a huge impact player on both defense and offense for Riverside. On defense, he is very instinctive at outside linebacker that makes plays out in space with great athleticism. On offense, he displays great body control with a great understanding of how to use his frame at the catch point.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(LB) [player_tooltip player_id='362098' first='Desmond' last='Thomas'] - Riverside:</strong> Thomas is a very active downhill linebacker that loves to shoot gaps with timing and closing speed. He shows an excellent processing vs run concepts and makes aggressive decisions with good block avoidance. On the backside of outside zone runs, he displays good range and effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>(DB) [player_tooltip player_id='372310' first='Parker' last='Wilks'] - Riverside:</strong> Wilks is a great safety on the back end for Riverdale and makes some big explosive plays on offense. Good football intelligence combined with good transitional ability to put himself in a good position. Great ball skills, he shows nice body control and tracking of the football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Game Preview</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Robertson and Riverside both had great seasons and as the 2023 season proceeded these 2 teams looked to be two of the best in Class 2A. Moreover, both teams proved to be the best in the post season with some very impressive wins. In addition, Riverside and East Robertson both had great regular seasons, and both came away with impressive records. At the end of this game only one team will come away with the win and take home the "Gold Ball."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two teams did not face off at any point during this season. Furthermore, the Class 2A championship game will be a completely fresh game and highly competitive. East Robertson had an extremely successful 2023 campaign and will look to continue that in this game. Moreover, they are stacked with talent and athleticism and will be very difficult for Riverside to stop. For Riverside, they are returning to the championship game after falling short last year. They are a quality team that is very physical and play with a lot of aggression.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East Robertson has the Groves on their side with a lot of talent coming from this family. On defense, [player_tooltip player_id='332217' first='Elijah' last='Groves'] and [player_tooltip player_id='820950' first='Zach' last='Groves'] are big, physical play makers that teams typically shy away from. On offense, [player_tooltip player_id='497421' first='Isaiah' last='Groves'] leads the Indians on the ground and creates explosive plays. On Riverside, they have many players returning to make up for the lost last year. [player_tooltip player_id='855562' first='Jagger' last='Cupples'] is a play maker on both sides of the ball with unique size and athleticism combo. On defense, [player_tooltip player_id='362098' first='Desmond' last='Thomas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='372310' first='Parker' last='Wilks'] are very consistent players for the Panthers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Game Prediction</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game is a difficult one to pick a winner for, but it must be done. Since these teams have not faced off at any point this season, I am projecting who is going to win based off of talent. I predict this game to be a close one with East Robertson edging out a win vs Riverdale in a close fashion. The finals score will be 28-24 in favor of the Indians and they will take home the "Gold Ball."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score: East Robertson 28 Riverdale 24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->