By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — No first round upset of Riverside this year — but a chance to exorcize that demon once and for all lies around the bend.

The third-seeded Rebels scored 56 first half points en route to a 63-7 drubbing of No. 16 Pope John Paul II in a Division IV first round playoff matchup.

Riverside advances to the regional round, where it will host St. Thomas Aquinas. STA upset RA last season, 31-26, in the opening round of the 2013 Division IV postseason.

Freshman passer Jordan Loving had a near perfect postseason debut. He completed 8-of-9 passes for 127 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions.

Herb McGee caught three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Von Julien hauled in two catches for 40 yards and a score. Brandon Sanders rushed three times for 68 yards and two touchdowns, while Hardell Mack ran one time for 40 yards.

“We did what was needed (Friday),” Stubbs said. “We’re getting ready to step into a different arena, now. We know who we are. We have to keep getting better and we’ll have to play better a week from now. I think our kids answered the challenge.

“The thing you like as a coach is there are still things that can get better. I’m not sure we’ve seen how good this team can be. I don’t think we have, yet, and I feel we have a lot of good football left to play in us.”

Riverside (11-0) scored via the run, the pass and on an interception return in the first quarter. The Rebels got on the board early when Loving connected with Tyler Gauthier for a 9-yard touchdown at the 8:47 mark of the first quarter.

Then it was Loving to McGee for 57 yards to make it 14-0. Safety Kendall Martin intercepted a PJP II (1-10) pass and brought it 31 yards to paydirt, then Sanders took off for a 41-yard touchdown run to make it 28-0 after a quarter of play.

Loving found Julien 10 seconds into the second quarter for a 30-yard score. He’d later find Darrion Cook for a 23-yard score. Sanders and DeAndre Wilson each scored rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, while Jared Butler scored RA’s lone touchdown in the second half on a 10-yard run.

Chris Brown scored the Jaguars’ only touchdown on a 1-yard run.

Stubbs didn’t deny his team will have extra incentive behind its efforts in the coming week.

“No doubt about it, it’s a game our players are going to be excited about,” Stubbs said. “At the same time, we always stress it’s not about our opponent as much as it’s about who we are. But it isn’t like basketball or baseball where you play someone and can come right back a week or two later and play them again. We’ve had to wait for … it’ll be about 372 days of waiting to play them again. I think our guys will be eager.”