Gideon’s Army: Tough love and trust driving Riverside QB Merhib to success

Riverside sophomore QB Gideon Merhib has racked up nine total touchdowns in his first two career starts for the Warriors. Riverside is off to a 2-0 start behind his stellar play. (PHOTO CREDIT | RICK SCHWARTZ PHOTOGRAPHY)

Riverside quarterback Gideon Merhib is only a sophomore.

He’s getting his first taste of the varsity game, having made just two career starts for the Warriors. All of this is fairly new to him. 

As Merhib continues to learn this new level of play, it’s expected that his Riverside teammates take it easy on him in practice. A little patience for the new guy.

Apparently, nobody passed that memo to senior wide receiver Mikkel Skinner.

“Nope. I’m always hard on him. I’m always talking [trash] to him,” said Skinner. “Always. I’ll tell him ‘Throw the ball’ or say ‘You’ve got a weak arm.’ Things like that. But Gideon is like a little brother to me. He knows it comes from a place of love.”

Skinner’s been familiar with Merhib’s game for a while, watching him play at the youth and JV levels. Skinner has longed for the day when he could finally catch passes from Merhib on varsity.

“I’ve been watching Gideon since he was little,” said Skinner. “I watched him last year when he played for our JV team. He wanted to play varsity last year but decided to be patient. I knew I wanted at least one year to play on the same team as him.”

As for the trash talk? Well, there just might be a method to Skinner’s motivational madness, after all.

Through two games, Merhib has thrown for 537 yards and racked up nine total touchdowns — eight through the air, and one on the ground. Not a single interception to his name, either. Merhib has pushed Riverside to a 2-0 record with wins over Mauldin in Week 0 and Greenville on Friday night.

Not too shabby for a sophomore.

“It’s really impressive man, seeing a kid in 10th grade stepping into that role,” said Riverside head coach Matt Rochester. “He plays with so much heart… he doesn’t put us in tough situations, either. That’s all you can ask out of a quarterback his age. He’s doing a great job being a young leader for us.”

“We worked all summer for this,” said Merhib. “We game-planned to be in this position. I just go out there and let my playmakers make plays.”

Riverside QB Gideon Merhib (left) celebrates with senior WR Mikkel Skinner after a touchdown in Riverside's 39-20 win over Mauldin on August 23. (PHOTO CREDIT | RICK SCHWARTZ PHOTOGRAPHY)

Merhib has no shortage of those playmakers, either. His arsenal of wideout weapons is among the sharpest in the state.

In Friday night’s 42-26 win over Greenville, Skinner — a 4-star Cincinnati commit — had 3 receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. 

Junior quickster Jaiden “Speedy” Taylor hauled in 5 catches for 143 yards and three scores. Merhib also spread the love to Izzy Leamon, Camilo Morrison, and several other more-than-viable pass-catchers.

The Warrior wide receiver room has made Merhib’s varsity honeymoon a dream.

“I know every one [of my receivers] trusts me,” said Merhib. “Knowing I have their trust helps me go out there and execute what I need to do.”

“We’ve known he was going to come out here and do his thing, and now that he’s finally gotten his chance, he’s killing it,” said Skinner. “His IQ for the game and his speed, the way he runs the ball are incredible. And he’s young, so he’s only going to get better.”

The same could be said about Riverside itself.

Friday’s game at Greenville was always going to serve as a litmus test for the Warriors. They passed with flying colors.

Celebrations abounded in the locker room after the game. Rochester — along with every player on the Warrior roster — danced and danced and danced some more. But they knew Friday night was just the beginning.

“We have barely even scratched the surface of what we can be as a team,” Rochester said to his men. “Celebrate this one tonight, then it’s right back to work on Monday.”

The Warriors will need to put in every minute of work they can. The schedule only gets tougher from here. Riverside will face Christ Church in its home opener on Sept. 6. Then, it’s on to the grueling gauntlet of 5-A Region 2 — loaded with some of the state’s perennial powers.

Just don’t overlook the Warriors in that mix.

“People used to look at Riverside as just another game on the schedule,” said Rochester. “I think now, they might have to take a game against us a little more seriously.

“That just shows the hard work of our kids. They come to work every day feeling doubted, and they find a way to prove people wrong.”

GAME RECAP

Riverside 14 7 14 7 42

Greenville 0 13 6 7 26

RIVERSIDE STAT LEADERS

Passing: Gideon Merhib - 12/21, 296 yards, 4 TDs | Keyon Knowles - 1/1, 57 yards, TD

Rushing: Zyrell Abercrombie: 13 carries, 52 yards | Keyon Knowles - 6 carries, 52 yards, TD | Gideon Merhib - 5 carries, 33 yards

Receiving: Jaiden “Speedy” Taylor - 5 receptions, 143 yards, 3 TDs | Mikkel Skinner - 3 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TDs | Izzy Leamon - 3 receptions, 60 yards | Camilo Morrison - 2 receptions, 32 yards

NEXT UP: 9/6 vs. Christ Church (0-2) - 7:30 p.m.