JEFF LOCKRIDGE - Staff Writer

MURFREESBORO — That 10-7 score is becoming increasingly annoying for the Riverdale Warriors.

For the second straight year, Riverdale lost by a field goal in the Class 5A BlueCross Bowl, this time to the Germantown Red Devils.

Last year Brentwood beat the Warriors by the same score.

Germantown's offensive line showed its size and strength last night — in front of a predominantly Riverdale crowd of 5,141 at Middle Tennessee State — muscling the Warriors' defensive front off the ball and paving the way for a hard-nosed running game that dictated play for most of the game.

''They are about as good as we've had lately,'' Germantown Coach Charlie White said of his line. ''Quite honestly, Riverdale stopped us more than I thought they would.''

It was the second state title in six finals appearances for Germantown (14-1), which got its first championship in 1983. Riverdale (12-3), which failed to win a fourth title, has now lost three of the last four 5A finals.

But the Warriors were unwilling to go down quietly, mounting a comeback bid trailing 10-0 late in the fourth quarter.

''We found some ways to almost have a chance to win it at the end, but we made some critical mistakes,'' Riverdale Coach Gary Rankin said. ''They got the best of us this time.''

The comeback began when Riverdale junior quarterback Dave Thomas rolled right and lofted a 40-yard pass to Rahmel Oliver, who pocketed the catch before he stepped out at the Germantown 5. Tailback Gaston Miller scored on the next play with 3:40 remaining.

Forced to hold Germantown on its next possession, the Riverdale defense used two timeouts and stuffed quarterback Brandon Patterson on third-and-5 at the Red Devils' 45.

Riverdale got the ball back at its own 12 with 2:20 left after a penalty on the punt return. A pair of runs moved the ball within inches of the first down just inside the Riverdale 22, but Thomas was dropped by a trio of blitzing linebackers for a 3-yard loss when he attempted a QB draw on third down.

The Warriors went for it all on fourth down. Thomas' deep ball appeared briefly to be perfectly thrown to receiver Keaton Anderson at the Germantown 40. But Red Devils senior cornerback Carlos Dixon stretched out and knocked it away at the last moment with 35 seconds remaining.

''We've got to do the little things first. I think we just lost focus a little bit,'' Thomas said. ''It was a physical game, and they were a whole lot bigger than us.

''It was a good season. I'm proud of everybody. I'm just mad we came up short.''

Riverdale will look back on a 13-play drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock and spilled over into the fourth quarter. It presented the Warriors with a first-and-goal at the Germantown 5 with just more than eight minutes left. But three runs and a penalty netted Riverdale no yardage, and Tyler Campbell missed a 22-yard field goal.

Germantown got its touchdown in the first quarter, marching 60 yards on nine rushes. Dixon carried four times for 29 yards on the touchdown drive and Patterson capped it with a 19-yard option keeper around right end.

The Red Devils appeared well on their way to making it 14-0 in the second quarter when fullback Lee Smith was stripped by defensive end Jonathan Gooch inside the Riverdale 20. Jermaine Alsup recovered for the Warriors.

Riverdale followed up with its best possession of the first half, driving from its 16 to the Germantown 35. But on third-and-9, as Miller bolted through the line for a potential first down, he allowed the ball to be jarred loose by Allen Toney and the Red Devils fell on it.