Ritenour Sr High School

If you have had the pleasure of attending a Ritenour Huskies versus Pattonville Pirates football game, then you know that you better get to the game early for a seat and stay late for the drama. This chapter of the storied Rock Road Rivalry was no different and had all of the big plays and edge-of-your-seat moments that one could handle. When it was all said and done, the Ritenour Huskies (4-2 overall, 2-0 conference) emerged victorious, 38-35, for the first time since 2016, snapping an 11-game losing skid to the Pirates. Saturday’s contest was just another chapter in a rivalry where 11 of the last 13 contests have been won by 7 points or fewer. “I’m proud of my guys and the way they fought all game and we knew that we would have to play 4 quarters of football in all three phases,” said head coach Yarmon Kirksey There were stars all over the field for the Huskies, but none shined as bright as senior quarterback Anthony “Ant” Odom. Odom, touted as one of the best quarterbacks in the St. Louis metro area, tossed 4 touchdown passes, two of which went to his top target of the day, senior wideout Montrey Banks. Odom and Banks connected on scores of 1 yard and 74 yards. “We know the history of this rivalry and we had seen stuff on social media this week, but our coaches did a great job of keeping us focused all week on just making sure that we did what we were supposed to do,” said Odom. The Huskies welcomed back sophomore running back Khai Cooper, who had been sidelined by an injury for the past two weeks. Cooper found the end zone from one yard out but throughout the game he ran the ball well, running hard for every yard that he gained. “Having Khai back this week was huge for us and he really gave our offense and our team a big boost,” said Huskies’ offensive coordinator Dwayne Kirksey. Defensively, the Huskies knew they would have their hands full as junior quarterback for the Pirates, Trevor Beckermann, stood opposite them. Beckermann, like Odom, is also seen as one of the best quarterbacks in the St. Louis metro area and he did not disappoint Saturday. The Huskies, however, had timely stops and made Beckermann earn every yard that he gained, whether through the air or on the field. Led by senior linebacker Dillon Williams and junior defensive end Nate Anderson, the Huskies' defense stood tall when they had in the 4th quarter as the Pirates drove the ball down the field with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game. “We knew that we had to get a stop because our offense had been bailing us out all game,” said Williams. The Huskies’ relentless defensive pressure gave the Pirates’ offensive line a fit, leading to a 4th-down stop by the Huskies, giving their offense back the ball with just over a minute remaining in the game. “Trevor is a great quarterback and we knew that we had to hit him when we could and make him uncomfortable in the pocket to have a chance to win this game and the guys went out there and got the job done,” said Coach Y. Kirksey. As previously mentioned, Kirksey was thrilled with the way the Huskies played in all three phases of the game. The avid football fan knows that special teams are just as important as a team’s offense and defense and it showed in today’s game. The Huskies’ special teams were the key and deciding factor in Saturday’s homecoming victory. On the opening kickoff, senior linebacker Daniel Stokes forced a turnover, which led to the first of five Husky touchdowns on the day. Freshman kicker Tavion Gardner went 5-for-5 on PATs and connected on an 11-yard field goal with just under 3 minutes remaining, a game-winner held by his fellow freshman teammate, Gavin Wooten. “I was a little shocked to hear that we were going to kick a field goal from the 1-yard line but I wasn’t scared because I felt prepared to go out there and do my job,” said Gardner. With the win, the Huskies move to 2-0 in conference play and will look to continue their winning ways as they make the trip to Parkway North next Friday night. “This was a complete team win and a great win for our program,” said Kirksey.“ Kirksey added, "We’ll let the guys celebrate it for the weekend but on Monday we’re back to work to get ready for a Parkway North team who’s going to be ready for us."