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Rivera hits 2,000 in gutsy finale

Friday, November, 30 By David Willis

LYNN — Greater Lawrence coach Tony Sarkis knows he asked a tremendous amount from his running backs in his run-heavy power-I offense. After all, it is not unusual for a player to carry 30 or more times in a game.

So the veteran coach knows he needs someone special in that role.

“The running back is our heart and soul,” said Sarkis.

For the last two seasons, Sarkis certainly hasn’t had to think twice about that job, as it has been filled in tremendous fashion by Cristian Rivera.

Last night, the record-setting running back closed out his career for the Reggies with 118 yards and a touchdown in a 20-6 loss to Greater New Bedford in the State Vocational Bowl.

“We are sure going to miss having Cristian here,” said Sarkis. “He has had an excellent career.”

With his final effort, Rivera closed out his outstanding senior campaign with a whopping 2,008 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.

Even more impressive, he finishes his three-year varsity career with 4,123 yards, including 3,690 over the last two seasons.

That marks 425 more rushing yards and Reggies legend and 2007 Eagle-Tribune offensive Player of the Year Nate Adames.

And yes — it is Cristian for the countless number of people that have misspelled his name over the years.

“He’s a really good back and a hard worker,” said backfield make Marcos Ortiz.

It wasn’t an easy final chapter for Rivera with the Reggies.

He placed the team on his back again, carrying nine straight times to give Greater Lawrence its first and only score of the night, including the 22-yard sprint into the end zone where he again showed outstanding speed and agility for someone tipping the scale at 215 pounds.

A possession later, however, the trouble started. On a 7-yard gain he was smacked along the sidelines — possibly a late hit — and spent nearly five minutes on the ground before limping off the field.

The injury was apparent the rest of the night, as he ran with a limp and some of that burst was gone.

But the gritty senior wasn’t about to waste his final high school game on the sidelines.

Despite the limp, wearing short sleeves on a day where the wind chill dipped to 15 degrees, Rivera handled the ball time after time on offense, returned punts and played every play on defense, making eight tackles for the night.

While players on both sides of the ball were agitating the referees to the tune of nine personal fouls, Rivera remained above the fray, running the ball then making his way back to the huddle.

The 208-yard, five touchdown performance in a Thanksgiving victory may have been a flashier finale, but his night at Manning Field once again showed the heart of a champion.

“He is a great running back,” said Sarkis. “And I believe he is on to bigger and better things in college football.”