This time last year, Riverside QB Cooper Adams was playing an entirely different position.
Adams grew up playing quarterback. Before the 2025 season, however, Adams transitioned to wideout in search of more opportunities to make plays for the Warriors.
And when the starting quarterback job reopened at the beginning of the 2026 campaign, Adams grabbed the reins.
“When [former Riverside quarterback] Gideon Merhib transferred to Byrnes, I kind of took a week to myself to make a decision,” said Adams. “I asked myself, you know, if I really loved this whole receiver thing, or if I wanted to go back and give QB a shot.
“I made my decision. I texted [offensive coordinator Thomas] Wilkes and said ‘I’m all in on QB.’”
Adams was all in on Friday night in Riverside’s region opener against Travelers Rest, too. The junior passed for 305 yards and five touchdowns, added 47 rushing yards and a rushing TD, and led the Warriors to a 41-21 win over the Devildogs.
It was a career-best performance for Adams, who says he’s had little trouble readjusting to the quarterback role despite taking a year off.
“It’s kind of like riding a bike, to be honest,” said Adams. “Everything feels natural. Footwork is the one thing I needed to clean up, and I feel like I’ve done a good job of that as the season’s gone on.”
“I think the best thing about Cooper is that he loves to learn, and he keeps on doing that,” said Riverside head coach Matt Rochester. “He’s done a great job of meshing in, taking the reins, being a leader, and just being willing to work. He comes to practice prepared and ready to execute every day.”
After suffering an injury in Riverside’s second game of the season — one that sidelined Adams for the next two contests — he’s back to full strength.
The same can mostly be said for Riverside as a team.
The Warriors were riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball during non-region play. With the team nearing full health again, Rochester says his men are trending in the right direction as a unit.
“When you deal with the amount of injuries we’ve had, you have to find ways to manage it,” said Rochester. “It’s just good to get some health back. We’ve had two, three really good weeks of practice. Getting some guys back has been huge for us gelling as a team.”
Wide receivers Peyton Stevenson and Elijah Terry are two players who have managed to avoid the injury bug for the Warriors. With the injuries at the QB position, the pair have been vital to keeping Riverside’s offense chugging along through the changes.
That was the case Friday, as well, with the pair of receivers combining for 320 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Stevenson set the Riverside single-game receiving record on Friday night with 212 yards.
Riverside QB Cooper Adams connects on a deep throw to WR Peyton Stevenson in the first quarter of Riverside's 41-21 win over Travelers Rest on Oct. 1, 2026.
“Those guys are amazing,” said Adams. “I truly believe Peyton is one of the best receivers in the state and [Terry] is one of the best athletes in the state. Throwing to those guys makes my job pretty easy.
“The biggest thing for me, though, is how supportive they’ve been of me. Even if something goes wrong, they’ll encourage me and show me what I could’ve done or where a play broke down. That’s been really helpful.”
Adams and Riverside will look to begin Region 2-4A play with a 2-0 record this Friday night, as the Warriors welcome Wade Hampton to town.
“We’ve still got some things to clean up, particularly penalties,” said Adams. “But if we can just limit those self-inflicted mistakes, I think it’s going to be hard to beat us.”
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