Riverdale crushes Antioch in opener
BY DEAN FOX • DNJ CORRESPONDENT • August 22, 2009
NASHVILLE — There's no guarantee Riverdale will return to the playoffs this season. But the Warriors' season opener certainly struck a much better tone.
Quarterback Cody West accounted for 211 yards — 143 rushing and 68 passing — and scored two touchdowns in the first half as he led Riverdale to an impressive 35-0 victory over host Antioch Friday night.
The victory was a sharp contrast to last year's opener, a 17-6 loss to rival Oakland, that was the first step toward a 5-5 season — one in which Riverdale eventually missed the playoffs for the first time in 18 seasons.
"We had so much excitement in us from last year," West said. "We had to hold it inside for so long, and tonight, we just let it all loose. Riverdale's coming back."
Riverdale coach Ron Aydelott was in the mood to look forward, not backward.
"I don't think these kids think about last year; if they do, we haven't talked about it," he said. "I think it's the beginning of the season, and our kids are tired of scrimmaging and hitting each other, and they wanted to do something for real."
West had a pair of touchdowns and Adam Davenport had another as Riverdale led 21-0 at the half. West had 119 of the Warriors' 213 rushing yards at intermission; as a team, Antioch had 12.
The Warriors were stopped on their opening drive, but scored on the next offensive snap as West ran up the middle for a 66-yard scamper.
For the game, Riverdale had 335 rushing yards, while Antioch had 40. Both coaches agreed that Riverdale was able to wear down the Bears.
"That long run by (West), that hurt," Antioch coach Mike Woodward said. "I think physically they just wore us down. We missed a couple of things, but for the most part, Riverdale just executed great."
Riverdale scored on its next two drives as well.
The Warriors overcame a second-and-19 with Davenport's 13-yard run and West's 21-yard third-down pass to Rodney Parker, and then scored two plays later on Davenport's 18-yard run to grab a 14-0 lead.
After an Antioch three-and-out, West put a bow on the half with a 17-yard touchdown run. After being whistled for intentional grounding on the previous play, he again kept the ball and ran up the middle for the score.
Antioch's best offensive possession came midway through the half, when it drove to Riverdale's 15-yard line. But the drive was stopped on downs.
Parker added an 8-yard touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter, scoring on a fourth-and-1 pitch. Riverdale scored two plays after a bad snap on an Antioch punt, triggering the TSSAA's 35-point mercy rule with nearly 11 minutes left.
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Scoreboard - November 25, 2011
| Teams | Score | |
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| Riverdale Maryville |
14 42 |
Final |
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