Odom interception sparks Riverdale to victory

Warrior DB returns pick for touchdown

BY JARED HASTINGS • This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it • September 12, 2009

With its back against the wall, the Riverdale defense made the play that changed the game.

Up 17-7 late in the second quarter, defensive back Marcellous Odom returned an interception 99 yards down the left the sideline to put momentum on the Warriors' side for good as Riverdale defeated Lincoln County 52-7 Friday night at Tomahawk Stadium.

"That turned the game a lot," said Odom, a sophomore who also had 26 yards rushing and 33 yards receiving. "We weren't playing that well in the first half, but after that we played a lot better."

Odom's return came just four plays after sophomore Adam Davenport chased down Lincoln County running back Thomas Palmer, who had broken loose on what appeared to be a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. However, Davenport stopped Palmer at the Warrior 11, and facing fourth-and-14 at the Riverdale 15, Lincoln County (0-3) elected to fake what would have been a 32-yard field goal. Odom intercepted holder Zack Price's pass just short of the goal line and was escorted down the field by a convoy of blockers.

"That was just a pair of sophomores making great plays," said Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott. "We may not have the most talent out there, but our kids just keep fighting and fighting, and they don't give up. That's what makes this team so fun."

Palmer was a force for Lincoln County in the first half, rushing for 121 yards on just 13 carries and 139 yards on 17 carries for the game. However, the rest of the Falcon offense was limited to minus-8 yards on the remaining 26 plays.

Palmer's 89-yard touchdown run on the Falcons' third play from scrimmage staked Lincoln County to a 7-0 lead, but it was short-lived.

Riverdale (3-1) responded with a nine-play, 57-yard drive, tying the game on senior quarterback Cody West's five-yard touchdown run with 6:29 remaining in the first.

Grayson Powell connected on a 30-yard field goal less than a minute into the second quarter for a 10-7 lead, before senior running back DeQuinton Sherrill — in his first action of the year after suffering a foot injury in the preseason — scored from one-yard out with 6:18 remaining before halftime.

Five different Warriors scored rushing touchdowns as Riverdale racked up 299 yards on 36 carries, including 233 in the second half, outscoring the Falcons 28-0.

West finished with 55 yards on three carries with a touchdown, while senior fullback Rodney Parker added 47 yards on seven carries with a pair of touchdowns. In all, 13 different Warriors carried the ball.

"We weren't perfect by any means," said Aydelott, whose team plays at archrival Oakland next week. "But our kids played hard. We've got some things to work on, but I guess it wouldn't be a football week if we didn't."

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Scoreboard - August 27, 2010

Teams	Score

Riverdale La Vergne	34 0	Final

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