High School Varsity Football Touchdown Preview: Riverview High School, 2025

The Sharks have one of the toughest schedules in Hillsborough County. They will play against eight playoff teams from last year, including three teams outside of the county. They are off to a great start, beating Pinellas Park 19-0 in preseason. They lost to the same team last year 49-7.

Riverview’s schedule got tougher when Head Coach Tony Rodriguez turned the program around after a couple of seasons, making the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since 2019. They started out with a tier-three strength of schedule and now have a tier-two schedule. The team had a tough season last year, going 2-8.

Rodriguez thinks that the “SEC-like schedule” will only make the players better and get them more exposure to college scouts. They will return five starters on offense and five on defense.

The program was short on coaches last year, forcing Rodriguez to call plays on offense and defense. They hired a new defensive coordinator, Dedarallo Blue, to help alleviate the strain of having to pull double duty. Blue played at Armwood High School and played in college for the University of Toledo.

Senior 6’4” receiver Alex McPherson recently got an offer from Southeastern University. Seniors Nick Duffy and Owen Hershey will anchor the offensive line. Junior quarterback Aidan Airgood had some playing time last season and will now adjust to a full-time role. Rodriguez said that he is commanding the huddle, has a very strong arm and has a high football IQ. Running backs Koby Holloman and Jason Greenwell will both carry the ball. His brother, senior ATH Adam Greenwell, will add versatility as a utility athlete. Senior receiver Xavier Kelly caught a 65-yard touchdown in the preseason win. Senior ATH Jordyn Bailey will play slot receiver. His father, Kalvin Bailey, is on the coaching staff and helped lead Armwood to back-to-back state championships in 2003 and 2004.

Senior inside linebackers Javan Gadson and Juvandy Robinson will cover the middle of the field and are the backbone of the defense. Rodriguez said that these two guys are the first at practice, the last to leave and natural leaders who will do whatever it takes to help the team win. He thinks that they will both play at the next level. Defensive end Brittan Newton will put pressure on the outside. Jeremery Bass, Dominic Persaud and Damian Paulin will be key players in the secondary.

Rodriguez and his team will focus on getting back to the basics of tackling, blocking and punt protection. He thinks they have a great shot to win their district, which contains Bloomingdale, Durant and Bartow. The players and coaches are also fired up to play crosstown archrival East Bay. “Count on me” is the team motto.

“We are living in the moment. This is the first group of seniors that I’ve had for four years,” said Rodriguez. “We truly have become a family over the years. It’s an awesome opportunity to be a part of their lives for so long and be able to cherish their senior year with them.”

Rodriguez and his program are in need of volunteer coaches. If you are interested in helping, contact him at 813-952-3132. He is looking for camera operators who run the replay system on game nights as well. Community service hours can be distributed for these services.

Schedule:

8/22 vs. Hillsborough

10/31 @ Armwood