TOM KREAGER
Staff Writer

MURFREESBORO — Cookeville played like it had nothing to lose — recovering onside kicks and running on fake punts against the No. 1 seed from Region 4-5A.

But even with the trickery, Riverdale’s running attack was too much for the Cavaliers.

The Warriors advanced to the second round of the Class 5A playoffs last night with a 28-10 win over Cookeville, the No. 4 seed from Region 3-5A.

“One down, four to go,” Riverdale senior Spike McDaniel said.

Riverdale (9-2) will play host to Franklin County, which defeated Lebanon 23-13, at 7 p.m. Friday at Tomahawk Stadium.

“I think when you look at everything, no one gave Cookeville a chance," Cookeville Coach Jerry Joslin said. “The kids gave it their all and they did some things that our coaches had seen on film and executed."

The Cavaliers (5-6) recovered an onside kick to start the game and proceeded to drive down field and grab an early 3-0 lead after Tim Durm’s 29-yard field goal.

However, the lead would be short-lived.

Riverdale sophomore Gaston Miller, who entered the game averaging 9.9 yards a carry, broke free two plays later for a 69-yard touchdown run to regain the lead for good.

“(The offensive line) did an excellent job,” said Miller, who finished with 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns on seven carries. “You couldn’t ask for anything more.

“They got the momentum from us (with the onside kick). But we went back and scored.”

The Warriors extended the lead on their next series. Riverdale continued to mix it up on the ground, running Miller to the outside and McDaniel and Derente Frazier inside to eat up yards.

A Frazier 18-yard run brought the ball to the Cookeville 29. The offensive series later continued after the Cavaliers were penalized for a roughing the kicker penalty on a Tyler Campbell field goal attempt. Three plays later, quarterback Dave Thomas found tight end Chris Perkins for a 3-yard score.

Riverdale continued its offensive pressure in the third quarter. Frazier and McDaniel combined for 45 yards on five carries, with Frazier scoring on a 13-yard run.

But Cookeville remained in the contest. Defensive back Morgan Toline picked off a Thomas pass at the Riverdale 23 and was tackled at the 1-yard line.

A play later, fullback Stevie Buckner ran in for a 1-yard score with 2:09 left in the third quarter.

“Stevie has done a good job for us,” Joslin said. “He’s a three-year starter and a hard-nosed player that plays the game like it should be played.

Buckner, who rushed for 92 yards on 16 carries, gave the Warriors fits with his bruising style of play.

“He’s a real good running back,” McDaniel said. “We had to go back to fundamentals, wrap him up and gang-tackle him.”

The Warriors responded to the Cavaliers’ score with an offensive series that ate up more than five minutes.

Miller capped the drive when he scored his second touchdown, a 12-yard run on fourth-and-7. Miller faked a defender to the outside, then sprinted to the inside for the score.

“It was just open for me,” Miller said. “I chose to go to the inside and it was there.

“We’ve got to go one game at a time. Round two, here we come.”