by Matthew Hochberg

All was well in the first quarter for George Mason’s High School football team against Riverside High School on Friday, Oct. 7. Senior running back Dustin Green found the end zone for the first score of the game that gave Mason a 7-3 lead heading into quarter No. 2.

Three consecutive touchdowns by the Rams, however, blew the game wide-open as Riverside entered the final half of play with a 24-7 advantage. They never looked back, adding one more score in the third quarter to put them up by 24 points and dropping the Mustangs to 2-4 on the season with four consecutive losses.

Green stood out once again, running for 113 yards, averaging more than 4 yards per carry and accounting for Mason’s two touchdowns on the evening. Over the past three games, one of last year’s All-District offensive second team award recipients has amassed 244 rushing yards and may very well be setting himself up for another honor if he can continue his strong performances on the field.

For a group looking to grow from last year’s first-ever playoff win, however, team performance is what will matter most. In the loss to Riverside, Mason failed to complete a pass, though their junior quarterback Thomas Creed did find a way to advance the ball, rushing for 43 yards.

Moving forward, Mason’s schedule will get tougher before it eases up a bit. The Mustangs will travel to Clarke County on Friday night for the Eagles’ Homecoming night and face a 4-2 team with impressive wins over Strasburg and William Monroe.