STEVE HEATH
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The Lincoln County-Riverdale rematch had the same outcome, a similar score, but it wasn’t the same game.

In a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Class 5A State Football Playoffs second-round game at Tomahawk Stadium Friday, Riverdale (11-1) defeated Lincoln County 27-9 and will face Smyrna next week in a quarterfinal round game.

Riverdale beat Lincoln County 37-9 in Fayetteville Sept. 8.

The Falcons (8-4) held the Warriors to their lowest rushing output of the season (186 yards) and had the most first downs (11) against the stellar Riverdale defense since Dickson County had 11 on Sept. 23.

Lincoln County made few mistakes in the second meeting of the season, but the ones it made Riverdale took advantage.

Three punting-game errors gave the Warrior offense a short field. Starting from the Lincoln County 30, their own 44 and the Lincoln County 7, the Warriors scored three touchdowns and 20 points.

“We made a few big plays that changed the game around,” said Riverdale senior quarterback and Mr. Football finalist Scott Thomas. “Those were the biggest three plays of the game. They gave us good field position to score and it turned out good for us.

R.J. Sandmeyer shanked an 18-yard punt after the Falcons first series. Riverdale took just five plays to score with senior halfback Marques Locke taking it in from 12 yards out.

The next Lincoln County possession ended with a fumbled snap in punt formation. Riverdale, again, needed just five plays to go 56 yards. Senior fullback Monty Newsom finished it off with a 15-yard run. He had three carries for 41 yards on the drive.

Early in the fourth quarter with the score 21-9, Falcon returner Matt Moran muffed a punt. Riverdale recovered on the 7 and scored three plays later on a Jeremy McClain 3-yard run.

“I thought our guys played about as hard as they could play,” said Lincoln County coach Louis Thompson, who played for Alabama legend Bear Bryant and has been the Falcons coach for 18 seasons.

“Coach Bryant taught me a long time ago, you can’t take three plays out of a game,” Thompson said. “They happen and you have to be able to respond to it. And you can’t follow a bad play with another bad play. We just couldn’t keep them out (of the end zone) on a short field.”

The Warriors may not have racked up their usual rushing numbers (369.1 yards per game during the regular season), they were opportunistic and except for a fourth-down interception were nearly mistake-free.

“They were awful generous,” said Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott. “They had a great game plan. We just capitalized on some of their mistakes.

“That’s the thing you try to preach. People that win the turnover battle win the football game. We did take care of the football pretty well (Friday).

“That’s the best defensive team we’ve played to date and we respected that (coming in).”

—Steve Heath, 278-5169