2004 Oakland

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Warriors keep on rollin'

Game Stats Game Photos

By Steve Heath

DNJ Prep Editor

It didn't take long for the No. 1-ranked Riverdale Warriors to make the Battle of the 'Boro an uphill battle for the host Oakland Patriots Friday.

On the game's first play, senior quarterback and Mr. Football candidate Dave Thomas scored on a 63-yard run.

After a touchdown run from junior fullback Tamar Butler, Thomas threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Antwone Smith, then intercepted a pass to set up the Warriors' fourth touchdown — on the first play of the second quarter — a 13-yard pass from younger brother Scott Thomas to fullback Kit Hartsfield.

The Warriors won 48-0 in the 34th meeting between Murfreesboro's two oldest rivals and first-ever game on the Oakland campus.

Riverdale (7-0, 4-0) leads the series 25-9.

It also marked the Warriors 60th straight win in region or district play and sixth straight victory over the Patriots.

"That's their game," said Oakland coach Lebron Ferguson. "They've been getting up a lot on a lot of people early. We wanted to make them work for it and not let them get the big play early. We didn't want them to get a lot early. We wanted to try and frustrate them and put them in a place they hadn't been before. We weren't able to do that."

Riverdale added two more second-quarter touchdowns behind the running of junior tailback Gaston Miller, who scored on a 44-yard run and a 5-yard run before halftime. Miller added his third touchdown of the game on the Warriors first third-quarter series. It was the final series for the Warrior starters and the last scoring in the game.

"It was good to set the tempo early. That's the way it is in any game you play," said Dave Thomas, who along with Miller rushed for more than 100 yards.

Miller had 169 yards on 14 carries, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season at 1,035. His three touchdowns give him a team and area-high 13 on the season. Thomas had 101 yards on just nine carries. He also had two touchdowns called back, one on a punt return and the other on a rush.

His performance, like it has throughout the season, left his head coach, Gary Rankin, very impressed.

"Great," described the long-time Warrior coach. "We haven't called his number much. We haven't had to. He made some great plays — if there's one better, I don't know who it is.

"Miller played well, and our fullbacks (Butler and Kit Hartsfield) played well."

Also playing well, again, was the Warrior defense.

The shutout was the fourth in the last five games and extended its scoreless streak to 22 quarters. In the past five games, Riverdale has outscored opponents 231-2. The only score came at Dickson County Sept. 24 on a safety.

Dave Thomas, senior cornerback Keaton Anderson — his fourth of the season — senior defensive back Wayne Hood and junior safety Phillip Stevenson each had interceptions. The Warrior defense held Oakland leading rusher Cord Cowan to minus-7 yards rushing.

The margin of victory was the second largest in the 30-year history of the city rivalry. In 1993, Riverdale won 49-0.