Metamora    52
R. Brookfield 41

Mark McDonagh had 19 catches (tying a state record for most receptions in a game) and quarterback Billy VandeMerkt threw four touchdown passes and ran in two more scores for the Riverside-Brookfield football team against Metamora on Friday night. But the impressive performances weren’t enough as the Bulldogs fell 52-41 in their season opener.

“I was really shocked,” McDonagh said about the state record. “I didn’t know I had that many. Thanks to Billy for throwing so many passes my way.”

VandeMerkt tossed a 30-yard touchdown pass to give RB a 6-0 lead at the 8:47 mark of the first quarter. After Metamora responded with two touchdowns, VandeMerkt raced into the end zone from 10 yards out to close the RB deficit to 14-12. Moving in for another score, the RB offense stalled at the Metamora 16 and missed a field-goal attempt.

“That was a big momentum changer,” RB coach Otto Zeman said. “We had a dark period [after the missed field goal] where we didn’t play well.”

The Redbirds, the Class 5A state runner-up in 2008, took full advantage of RB’s lull by tacking on a pair of touchdowns to take a 28-12 lead at halftime.

Trailing 45-12 entering the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback, scoring 29 points over the final 11:47 of the game. VandeMerkt (42-for-73, 423 yards) threw touchdown strikes of 28 yards to Watoris Slater (6 catches, 89 yards), 19 yards to Kenahan, and four yards to Tyler Radek. VandeMerkt added a four-yard scoring run during the Bulldogs’ explosive scoring binge.

“Our kids came back real well in the end,” Zeman said. “Not a lot of teams score that many points against Metamora. They went toe-to-toe [with Metamora] and I’m really proud of them. Our inexperience may have hurt us a bit.”

Although RB struggled defensively containing the Redbirds’ power running game, free safety Brandon Cook (7 tackles) played well, especially coming off an injury-plagued junior year.

“For about a quarter-and-a-half, we played alright,” said Marty Sloan, RB’s defensive coordinator. “In the second half, we came out flat and missed a lot of tackles.”

The schedule doesn’t get any easier as Nazareth rolls into Shuey Stadium Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Roadrunners routed Clark 63-8 in their opener.

“Nazareth beat us [69-21] last year so we have a chip on our shoulders,” McDonagh said. “We want to prove we can play with them and beat them.”