STEVE HEATH
The Daily News Journal

MURFREESBORO — It wasn’t in typical Riverdale-Siegel fashion, but the Warriors will sure take it.

The Warriors won their 71st straight region/district game, and first under new head Coach Ron Aydelott, 21-14 over Siegel at Tomahawk Stadium Friday.

With wins of a combined score of 168-3 in their first three meetings, Riverdale had to come from behind, then put the clamps on a fourth-quarter drive, to defeat the much-improved Stars.

“This was a big one to get, but we were awful sloppy,” said Aydelott who, after 12 years at Hillsboro, took over for four-time state championship winning coach Gary Rankin. “(Siegel) was well prepared and we were a little unsure of some things. That’s kind of the growing pains and I’ll take full responsibility for the things we weren’t prepared for.”

Riverdale senior quarterback Scott Thomas, in the Warriors new wing-T offense, rushed for 106 yards and threw for 93 and two touchdowns in the win.

“We played harder than them in the second half,” said Thomas. “They out-played us in the first half.”

Siegel had the ball 17 of 24 first-half minutes, but went to the locker room tied 7-7.

Stars senior running back Corven Parks, who finished with 114 yards on 20 carries, scored on an 8-yard touchdown run to finish off an impressive opening drive that went 68 yards and took 8:06 off the clock. The Stars appeared to be on a second-quarter scoring trip, getting to the Warrior 19, but Riverdale senior linebacker Marques Locke intercepted a Zeke Anderson pass at the 14-yard line and added a 28-yard return.

“That was huge momentum changer. He gave us the jump start we needed when we were flat and looked like we weren’t going to be jump started at all,” said Aydelott, who won a Class 4A title and five region championships with the Burros.

Riverdale tied the game on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to senior tight end Rydell Mayes, who transferred from Siegel after his sophomore year.

In the third quarter, Riverdale junior Paul Boykin scored on a 7-yard run and Thomas threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Julius Worthington to give the Warriors a 21-7 advantage.

Before the period was over, Parks scored from 16 yards out. After a Warrior turnover, Siegel got to the Riverdale 21, but the Warrior defense held and Tyler Tipton missed a 38-yard field goal that would have cut the margin to four.

“I’m proud of how we played, but I’m not happy,” said Siegel Coach David Watson. “We didn’t come here to play close. We came to win.”

Riverdale Rushing Paul Boykin 1-7, 1 TD Chad Hunter 2-6 Marques Locke 4-19 Jeremy McClain 4-40 Monty Newsom 3-17 Scott Thomas 14-106 Josh Vanhoose 1-3 Passing (CMP-ATT-INT-YDS) Scott Thomas 3-6-0-93 Receiving Rydell Mayes 1-50, 1 TD Julius Worthington 2-43, 1 TD Punting Scott Thomas 2-34.5 Kicking (FG-FGA XP-XPA Pts.) Jasper Driskill 0-1 3-3 3

Siegel Rushing Zeke Anderson 5-4 Caleb Harper 3--6 Staley Haynes 9-31 Corven Parks 20-114, 2 TD Passing (CMP-ATT-INT-YDS) Zeke Anderson 2-8-2-21 Receiving Hunter Chapman 1-6 Dalton Mullins 1-15 Punting Jordan Kiss 1-0.0 Kicking (FG-FGA XP-XPA Pts.) Tyler Tipton 0-1 2-2 2