Going out in style

SARASOTA — Karan Higdon couldn’t have scripted it any more perfectly.

As he put on his Riverview High football jersey for the final time, the senior running back knew in a matter of hours his high school career would come to an end.

But the reality and the emotion hadn’t fully sunk in.

Following the coin toss, the Rams co-captain ran back over to his teammates waving a white towel and jumping in the air.

It didn’t take long for Higdon to show why he’s one the area’s premier running backs.

In his final game for the Rams, Higdon rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns to lead Riverview to a 33-7 victory over crosstown rival Sarasota Nov. 7, in the season finale for both teams.

With the win, Riverview earned its third straight victory over Sarasota and helped erase some of the disappointment of not making the playoffs.

“I’ll never forget this game as long as I live,” Higdon says. “It meant everything. I couldn’t ask for a better moment than this.

“My team put in a lot of effort,” Higdon says. “They put in a lot of hard work and they opened up these holes for me. I got a great fullback and a great (offensive) line that make things happen for me.”

Higdon scored his first touchdown midway through the second quarter on a 16-yard run to extend Riverview’s lead to 13-0.

Higdon put the game away for the Rams in the third quarter when he broke away for a 94-yard touchdown on the opening play from scrimmage. He then added a 10-yard touchdown later in the quarter to make it 27-0.

Higdon scored the final touchdown of his high school career on a 4-yard carry midway through the fourth quarter.

“He’s the best team player that we’ve got,” coach Todd Johnson says of Higdon. “He told me in the third quarter, ‘Coach, I want to come out and let some other guys get in.’ That’s the type of kid that he is.”

Following the victory, Higdon joined his teammates in the end zone in celebration in front of a jubilant Riverview Kiltie Band.

It was there in that moment, after the final seconds had officially ticked off the clock, that Higdon snapped photos with family and friends, received pats on the back and high fives and could finally show the emotion that had been building up inside for four quarters.

“It feels great,” says Higdon, who verbally committed to play for the University of Iowa Oct. 26. “It’s been a blessing. A lot of kids don’t get this opportunity. A lot of kids will never see the field, and I’ve been blessed enough to see this opportunity.

“I just want to leave the memo that hard work pays off,” Higdon says. “If you grind each and every day it will pay off, and there’s nothing that can stop you or take this moment away from you.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].

BY THE NUMBERS
4 - years Higdon played football for Riverview

13 - football scholarship offers Higdon received before verbally committing to the University of Iowa Oct. 26

5 - age Higdon was when he first started playing football

15 - touchdowns Higdon scored for the Rams this season

236 - yards Higdon rushed for in his final high school game

297 - yards Higdon had in a single game this season