Ground game key to seventh straight victory

BY CORBY A. YARBROUGH • DNJ CORRESPONDENT • October 24, 2009

It took 12 minutes to shake the rust off, and then Riverdale went on a second-quarter surge that produced 21 points and helped the Warriors push their record to 8-1 on the year.

With two 1-yard scoring runs from Waltez Gaines bookending a 45-yard touchdown run by Dequinton Sherrill, Riverdale scored three times in a span of 6:43 that propelled the Warriors to a 42-7 victory over visiting Cookeville (6-3) Friday night at Tomahawk Stadium.

Sophomore linebacker Jason Boland helped kick start the scoring barrage. His 22-yard sack of Cookeville quarterback Mason Espinosa on fourth-and-6 gave Riverdale the ball at its own 40. Eight plays later, the Warriors had made up the 60 yards with a 17-yard reception from Marcellous Odom, a 16-yard run from C.J. Overton and two plays and 17 from Adam Davenport that enabled Gaines to plunge in from the 1.

David Miles-Peppers intercepted Espinosa four plays into the Cavaliers' ensuing drive, and Dequinton Sherrill took a double handoff 45 yards to give the Warriors their second score — 2:42 after their first.

Another Boland sack on a second-and-14 play helped end Cookeville's next drive in five plays, and Gaines went to work. He had runs of 39, 22 and 1 yards, and his fourth run gave him his second score and the Warriors 21 points in the 6:43 span.

Cookeville held the ball for over 13 minutes on six drives in the first half, but had just 100 yards, a turnover and no points to show for it. Conversely, Riverdale had the ball six times as well, holding the ball for 10:01, racking up 227 yards and three scores.

"Coaches told us to control the ball in the first half and control it in the second half, and that's what we did," Sherrill said. "I have to give it to my line. They said, 'we'll control (the line of scrimmage) and you all do your half.' We worked together and things got going."

The Warriors got right back to work to begin the second half. Driving 70 yards in eight plays and taking four minutes off the clock, Gaines again went in from the 1. A 39-yard run by Odom helped set up the score.

Cookeville answered back for its only points of the night by putting together an eight-play, 78-yard drive. Espinosa passed for 56 yards on the drive, including a 17-yard scoring pass to Stephen Bush with 4:57 left in the third.

Riverdale added two interceptions and had a fumble recovery for a score in the second half. Boland scooped up a Cavs fumble at the Cookeville 29, eluded Espinosa in his own backfield and went untouched into the end zone with 2:30 remaining in the third. Sherrill busted off a 76-yard scoring run to capitalize on Rodney Parker's interception. Cole Radabaugh also had a second-half pick.

"The whole season we start off slow in the first half," Boland said. "We did that (Friday), but we sealed it in the first half and put a cap on it in the second half to put the game away."

The game was stopped for over 10 minutes late in the first quarter while Cookeville's Aaron Brooksbank lay on the ground. The receiver dislocated his right elbow, according to the Cavaliers' coaching staff.

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Riverdale 42, Cookeville 7

Cookeville 0 0 7 0 — 7

Riverdale 0 21 14 7 — 42

R - Waltez Gaines 1 run (Grayson Powell kick), 9:43

R - Dequinton Sherrill 45 run (Powell kick), 7:01

R - Waltez Gaines 1 run (Brandon Gilmore kick), 2:58

R - Waltez Gaines 1 run (Brandon Gilmore kick), 7:50

C - Stephen Bush 17 pass from Mason Espinosa (Nick Mitell kick), 4:57

R - Jason Boland 29 run (Brandon Gilmore kick), 2:30

R - Dequinton Sherrill 86 run (Brandon Gilmore kick), 6:33

C R

First Downs 15 12

Rushes-Yards 34-75 21-361

Passing Yards 172 27

Comp.-Att.-Int 14-25-3 2-6-0

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1

Punts-ave. 5-185 3-111

Penalties-yards 5-35 8-65

Rushing: C - Hunter Phillips 1-(-3), Daylyn Martin 21-61, Mason Espinosa 4-(-13), Stephen Bush 2-17, John David Edginton 1 (-2), Jonathan Seals 3-2, Andrew Franklin 2-7 ; R - Rodney Parker 1-5, Adam Davenport 9-30, Cody West 6-40, Waltez Gaines 9-78, Marcellous Odom 5-57, C.J. Overton 1-16, Dequinton Sherrill 5-130, Raphael Perry 1-5.

Passing: C - Mason Espinosa 14-25-3 172; R - Cody West 2-6-0 27.

Receiving: C - Will Campbell 7-70, Aaron Brooksbank 1-18, Matt Meadows 2-19, Stephen Bush 2-31, Daylyn Martin 2-34; R - Marcellous Odom 3-27.