Riverside opens up against tough Mamou at home

BY DAVID FOLSE II

Sports Editor

RESERVE-Perhaps heading into the playoffs with the highest expectations in school history, the Riverside boys defeated Fisher to conclude the 2004-05 regular season, 76-58 Friday night.

Josh Labiche led the Rebels with 21 points. Matt Rogers also had 19 points and Chris Fontenot had 11 points.

With the win, Riverside concludes the regular season with a sterling 22-9 record and 8-2 record in district 10-2A. The second place finish in district 10-2A was good enough to secure only the school’s second home playoff game in history. Riverside welcomes Mamou to their gym Friday night. As of press time, game time was yet to be determined.

“It was fun to have the opportunity to play a lot of people Friday night against Fisher,” Rebels Head Coach Tommy Monier said. “At the same time, there is a tendency to fall off when you play a lot of people, but our guys just kept stepping up and we played well. We are glad we are going into the playoffs on a positive note.

“I told my team that what we have done no one can take away from us. What they have done in particular has been unbelievable. The support we have gotten from the school, to see the people who have come back to games to watch us is really special. We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to be thankful for.”

However, Monier said he told his team not to just be happy about the regular season accolades.

“What we have done so far is great,” Monier said. “But at the same time I told my team that we are not done. We have to refocus and recommit to doing this and go out there and play well on Friday night.

“I’m not really worried about my team getting nervous in the playoffs because we are too loose of a team to get nervous. They just have a good time and go out and play their hardest and I don’t think that the impact of what they are doing has really hit them yet and I don’t think that it will. I think that they are just going to go out and keep doing what they do and do it well.

Heading into the playoffs Monier said his team’s keys to victory have still not changed.

“We have to dictate the tempo,” Monier said. “Whether we want to speed it up or at times if we want to be a bit more patient. Our strength this season has been making our opponents play to our style of basketball. We think that we can do that starting on Friday.”