WILLIAMSTON — After trailing the entire game, the Knights appeared to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat, only to have those jaws come chomping down on them before they could escape.
Riverside scored two touchdowns to overtake East Carteret with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Mariners still had some fight left in them, as quarterback Brennan Lewis connected with Jacque Brown for his third and final touchdown pass with 32 seconds on the clock to pull out a 20-18 victory in the two teams first ever meeting.
“It was kind of like we were in a lull the whole game,” Riverside coach Asim McGill said. “We had some opportunities. We came out and moved the ball, but self destructed. Credit East Carteret.”
After missing a few scoring opportunities in the first half, the Knights (3-2) finally broke the goal line when quarterback Clay Wagner hit Daniel Everett in the middle of the field for a 32-yard score to cut the deficit to 8-6.
The Mariners would expand their lead in the third when they picked off their second of three interceptions at the Riverside 35-yard line, and one play later Lewis found Tre Stewart for a touchdown pass and a 14-6 lead.
Riverside would get the ball back later in the fourth quarter after a red zone stop of its own and put together its finest drive of the day, a 15-play, 77-yarder, on the strength of Stephen Allen and its running game.
The drive ended when Allen ran a counter to the right side for a one-yard score that left the Knights on the heels of the Mariners, 14-13.
The Riverside defense came up strong again on the next possession as it produced a stop at the Mariners’ 15-yard line.
Facing fourth and long, Carteret opted to go for it instead of punting and paid the price as the Knights regained possession at the 15.
Four plays later Allen raced into the end zone to give the Knights their first lead, 18-14, with 1:05 left in the contest.
The game was far from over as Stewart took the ensuing kickoff back 40 yards to give the Mariners possession at the 50.
Lewis completed a pass to bring his team to the 35, clocked the ball, then delivered the game-winning touchdown pass to Stewart, who was streaking down the right side line.
While Riverside held strong against the run, its pass defense was troubled from the get-go and allowed Lewis to finish the day going 9-15 for 219 yards and three TDs.
The loss snapped two-game winning streak for Riverside, who will be back in action next Friday at Washington.

East Carteret    0    8    6    6    —    20
Riverside        0    6    0    12    —    18

Scoring Summary
E — Jacque Brown 33 pass from Brennan Lewis (Tank Daugherty two points), 2:23, 2nd.
R — Daniel Everett 32 pass from Clay Wagner (two points failed), 1:15, 2nd.
E — Tre Stewart 35 pass from Lewis (two points failed), 3:39, 3rd.
R — Stephen Allen 1 run (two points failed), 4:24, 4th.
R — Allen 2 run (two points failed), 1:05, 4th.
E — Brown 35 pass from Lewis (two points failed), 32.3, 4th.