By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Class 2A No. 4 Riverside looks to keep its undefeated record intact when it hosts District 9-2A foe Thomas Jefferson this Friday night.

The Rebels defeated Thomas Jefferson 55-20 last season at Hoss Memtsas Stadium and enter this game as the heavy favorites again.

Rebels coach Mickey Roussel said that the Rebels’ focus this week will be on maintaining focus and keeping an eye on the big picture this season.

“Thomas Jefferson is a two-year school, they’re a work in progress,” said Roussel. “We need to practice to take care of what we need to do. We’re 4-0 and we’re glad to be where we are, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

Those improvements can come in all areas, Roussel notes. Offensively, the Rebels have been incredibly potent this season, but there are a few things that can be refined, he said.

“We’ve been pretty good, but we need to work on some little things in terms of our execution,” he said. “Defensively, we’ve improved, but again, tackling and coverage, those are areas where there are things to be corrected.”

The Thomas Jefferson (1-3) matchup is to be Riverside’s homecoming game — sometimes the bane of a coaching staff, with all the distractions that come with it.

“There are a lot of activities and festivities, and sometimes that comes across as more important than the game,” said Roussel.

“I just want our guys to understand that it’s not just about Friday night, but the big picture of where we want to be.”

Rachal rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and completed 6-of-7 passes for 152 yards and three scores on Friday night.

“(Rachal) had a great year last year, but we expected him to be even better and he has been,” said Roussel. “The players around him have gotten much better as well, and we’re seeing the result.”

Two of Rachal’s passing scores went to Austin Vicknair, who hauled in three catches for 65 yards.

“(Vicknair) is a quality receiver. He had seven scores last year and he’s picked up where he left off,” said Roussel. “He doesn’t drop anything.”

Thomas Crouch finished with 45 yards on five carries. Nate Williams gained 49 yards on four carries. Dylan Martin scored a pair of touchdowns, once through the air and once on the ground.

Riverside allowed just 140 yards of total offense to Fisher (3-1). The Rebels gained 404.

Riverside led 21-0 in the first quarter and 42-0 at halftime.

“We set out to take the wind out of their sails early, and we got after them pretty good,” said Roussel.