Warriors lose to Siegel in Shootout
At long last for Siegel
Considering it was an ice water bath for coach David Watson, it didn't matter.
"They didn't get me good," Watson said. "I was able to avoid a little bit of it."
The Stars connected on almost every other play when it counted, knocking off Riverdale at Siegel Stadium, 35-29, for the first win over the Warriors in Siegel's six-year existence.
"It was a big win because it was a region win," Watson said. "Our region is about survival, and each week, you're trying your (hardest) to survive."
Wide receiver Marc Gooch led the survival cause, hauling in eight catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns on the evening.
"We just focused the whole day — during school, all our class periods — we just focused about this game," Gooch said. "We needed it."
The Stars (4-1, 3-0 Region 4-5A) trailed 21-14 at halftime but were able to score less than two minutes into the second half on a 47-yard pass from quarterback Tanner Witt (14-of-18 for 209 yards) to Gooch — their second TD hookup of the night.
"Marc's got great ability, and Tanner's doing a great job of finding him," Watson said.
Fullback Aaron Ebalaroza led the way for Riverdale (2-3, 1-2) with 96 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 18 carries.
In the second half, however, the Warriors gained just 20 yards on the ground after racking up 156 in the first half.
"I think they did what most teams do, they stacked the box, and we didn't do as good a job of blocking," Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott said.
"I think we just played a little harder," Watson said. "We made a few changes, but nothing drastic. We just got off blocks a little more and were able to make some big plays.
"In the first half, we just couldn't ever get them stopped and couldn't get off the field."
The Stars took the lead on a 1-yard run from Gerald Howse (18 carries for 79 yards) with 2:51 left in the third. They followed that by forcing Riverdale to go four-and-out at its own 33. Gary Jackson scored four plays later from 17 yards out.
"It just made us feel a little bit more comfortable because it put us two scores up, but it didn't take Riverdale out," Watson said. "They fought back."
Riverdale trailed 35-21 with just more than seven minutes remaining when it faced a third-and-12 from Siegel's 49. Quarterback Cody West (4-of-8, 97 yards) rolled out to find tight end Josh Davenport open in the middle of the field for a 46-yard pickup.
Ebalaroza then punched in his third touchdown of the night with 6:39 left, and the Warriors added a two-point conversion on another pass from West to Davenport.
Siegel responded with a patient drive of its own, but it stalled after a false start penalty, an incompletion and a missed 40-yard field goal.
That gave Riverdale one last chance from its own 20, but with a minute to go, Siegel's Brad Strode intercepted a West pass to seal the game.
It was Riverdale's only turnover after giving the ball away seven times a week ago.
"The kids came out and fought their (tails) off," Aydelott said. "They're not laying the ball on the ground. Last week, we were a total disaster. This week the kids fought hard."
Strode's interception came after he dropped one early in the third quarter.
"It all came down to defense, and I just had to make a play," Strode said. "I felt like the pressure was on my shoulders, and I just had to get it done."
Scoreboard - November 25, 2011
| Teams | Score | |
|
|
||
| Riverdale Maryville |
14 42 |
Final |
|
|
||
Blue Cross Bowl Fan Face Off
Click Here for further details.