When the varsity women's volleyball players stepped onto the court to face Jordan for senior night on Mon., Oct. 19, a lot was at stake.
    For one, the Pirates hoped to end three consecutive losses on senior night in previous years. They also sought to gain a tie for second place in the PAC-6 and a revenge for a loss to the Falcons earlier in the season.
    Luckily, they were up to the challenge - the Pirates defeated Jordan in four games. After losing the first game by a wide margin, the Pirates came back to win the next three games for a senior night victory.
    "Senior night was really intense this year. We were playing for more than just our last home game," senior Jamie Williams said.

    Despite a tough season and difficult opponents, the women's varsity field hockey team continues to improve.
    "Our record does not speak for our season. We've had a variety of challenges," head coach Su Stone said.
    The challenges Stone speaks of include the fact that there are only 11 players on the team, meaning most of the players are forced to play the entire game. "There are so few players that people have trouble playing their positions," sophomore Hannah Gilbert said.
    "We've lost some [players] along the way because of commitments to school and injuries," Stone said.
    The fact that field hockey is no longer a PAC-6 sport also bothers Stone. "The kids won't technically get all-conference honors this year even if they got them last year," Stone said.
    The team, however, has not lost confidence and remains positive. "Overall we have improved a lot. We've been working better as a team and moving on the field," junior Hannah McMillan said.

   The Ladies' tennis team defeated Jordan 9-0 on Thu., Oct. 8, to secure a second place finish in the Pac-6.
    In finishing second, the Pirates will continue a successful season with its first appearance in Team Duels. Team Duels is essentially a state tournament for teams. The normal state tournament is only for individuals. The Pirates will face Panther Creek at home on Tues., Oct. 20 in the first round of the Duels.

    The football team is preparing for one of their biggest games of the season against the Southern Spartans tonight at home.
    Southern is in the top 20 football teams in the state, despite their high rankings Riverside still has confidence that they can beat the Spartans.
    “I think my team can go out and play their best. We're not going to be scared of somebody just because of their name,” senior Chauncey Burgess said.

    "Start fast and finish strong. Maintain a full and constant stride. Focus on your race and do the best you can," Head Coach Greg Brown said after East Chapel Hill defeated the cross country team on Tues., Sept., 1.
     The Pirates started off their season right, but still have a long way to go until the end. The team defeated Wakefield in its first meet of the season Wed., Aug. 19. According to most of the Pirates, Wakefield's difficult course was  one of the hardest they had encountered, which proved difficult mentally for many of the runners.
    "The course really was a tough one. There were like eight hills and it became pretty depressing after a while," senior captain Alix Wicker said.

    The men's varsity soccer team already made history, but it hasn't finished just yet.
    Defeating second-ranked Broughton high school 1-0 in the third round of the state playoffs, the team advanced to the Eastern Regional Semifinals in an intense, rain-filled game on Thurs., Nov. 12. 
    Senior Sam Dunderdale headed Riverside's only goal, assisted by junior Zabarle Kollie's corner kick, less than two minutes into the first half.
    "Sam Dunderdale has had four goals in the playoffs, that's huge," head coach Pat Roeber said. 
    From then on, the Pirates' defense and junior goalkeeper Ivan Ramirez's saves stopped all of Broughton's attempts on goal to win the game. "The guys in the back did a phenomenal job stopping the attack early," Roeber said.