MARYVILLE — Riverdale got the start it needed Friday night.

The second half, though, was a disaster.

Second-ranked Riverdale turned it over four times in the second half, and top-ranked Maryville capitalized. The Rebels defeated Riverdale 42-14 at Shields Stadium in the TSSAA Class 6A state semifinals.

Riverdale ended its season 13-1. Maryville (14-0) reached its eighth straight BlueCross championship game with the win.

“Against a team like that, if you turn it over that many times, you are doomed,” Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott said.

Riverdale’s offensive meltdown came after a strong first half with Riverdale trailing 14-7 after Maryville turned it over three times.

“We came out and played like we wanted to (in the first half),” Riverdale senior Adam Davenport said. “We wanted to obviously play better in the second half. But we had some turnovers and things didn’t go our way.”

Things crumbled quickly for Riverdale in the third quarter.

Riverdale’s Mariko Odom fumbled the second-half kickoff. Maryville’s Shawn Prevo capitalized with a 2-yard TD run three plays later.

“Things went our way,” Maryville coach George Quarles said. “I thought the key play of the game was the opening kickoff of the second half with them fumbling, instead of them potentially tying it up.

“We go up 21-7. I think that took a little out of them and gave us some confidence.”

Quarterback Andrew Dale, who was making his first career start in place of injured Dillon Woodruff, threw an interception to Brian Coulter on the next series. Dale’s pass bounced off of receiver Lamar Brown.

Maryville QB Patton Robinette scored on a 4-yard TD run five plays later with 7:10 left in the third quarter to extend the Rebels’ lead to 28-7.

And the rout was on. Riverdale had just eight offensive snaps in the third quarter. Maryville punted just one time in the game.

“We came out in the kickoff and had a turnover from the get,” Marcelous Odom said. “We just had turnover after turnover after that.”

Dale was picked off a second time when linebacker Nathan Miranda intercepted him near midfield. Four plays later, Prevo bumped the lead to 35-7 on a 4-yard run. Then Marcelous Odom fumbled near the Riverdale sideline and Trenton Shuler scooped and ran it 43 yards for the score and force the TSSAA mercy rule of a running clock with 7:56 remaining 

Junior Peyton Phillips lifted the mercy rule when he picked up a fumble and ran 47 yards untouched into the end zone with 3:52 left.

Davenport led Riverdale with 139 yards on 14 carries. Prevo, a sophomore, had 119 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Robinette added 94 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Maryville finished the game with 303 total yards, including 246 rushing yards on 39 carries. Robinette was 8 of 12 passing for 57 yards with a three total touchdowns — two rushing and one passing. Robinette attempted just one pass in the second half.

Riverdale finished with a season-low 223 total yards. Riverdale had 179 rushing yards on 31 carries. Dale was 9 of 16 passing for 44 yards with two interceptions.

Maryville turned the ball over an uncharacteristic three times — two fumbles and an interception — in the first half.

Keenan Jackson’s fumble recovery set up Davenport’s 73-yard TD run on the Warriors’ second offensive play for a quick 7-0 lead. It marked the first time all season that Maryville has trailed, Quarles said.

But Prevo answered for Maryville, returning the kickoff 80 yards to the Riverdale 12. Robinette, a North Carolina commitment, hit Kevin Niethammer for a 12-yard TD reception on the next play.

Riverdale failed to capitalize on a Maryville fumbled punt that gave the Warriors the ball at the Maryville 44. But Josh Arman’s punt went out of bounds inside the Maryville 1.

Robinette led the Rebels on a methodical 20-play drive that ate up 7:26 of the first half. Robinette capped the drive with a 12-yard TD run.

“That was against a good defense,” Quarles said. “Riverdale is good up front. They get after you and move around. That was as good of a drive as we’ve had all year.”