Riverdale rolls up 65 points against Smyrna

Game Stats Game Photos

JEFF LOCKRIDGE
Staff Writer

SMYRNA — Riverdale showed what it means to make big plays in a big game, and in the process let the rest of the state know it’s clearly the team beat in Class 5A.

The Warriors rolled up 55 points in the first half en route to a 65-20 win over host Smyrna last night, dominating an opponent that was supposed to provide a tough early-season test.

Riverdale improved to 2-0 (1-0 in Region 4). With the loss, Smyrna dropped to 2-1, 1-1.

“I’m sure this makes some kind of statement to somebody,” Riverdale Coach Gary Rankin said. “We just had an offensive explosion in the first quarter. I’m sure they were shell-shocked. I was shell-shocked and I was on the upper end.”

Junior tailback Gaston Miller sprinted 76 yards through a gaping hole on the game’s first play from scrimmage, setting up his 4-yard score on the ensuing snap.

Riverdale’s lead grew to 14-0 just over three minutes in when Dave Thomas ran straight, veered left and then reversed fields for a 53-yard punt return.

Keaton Anderson’s first interception led to Riverdale’s third score. Thomas ran right out of the shotgun and left several Smyrna pursuers in their tracks on his way to a 31-yard TD.

With a long line of cars still pulling into the parking lot, Riverdale led 21-0.

“I expected a hard-nosed, pound-the-football type game,” said Miller, who finished with 241 rushing yards on 12 carries (228 yards in the first half).

“I wasn’t expecting this. The holes were there and our line was doing a great job. I really don’t know what happened to Smyrna. They were pumped up before the game just like we were.”

Smyrna receiver Demarcus Martin’s leaping touchdown grab on a 17-yard toss from Charles Orona slowed the onslaught, but only momentarily.

Riverdale struck twice in the final 21 seconds of the first quarter. Austin Kusch jetted past Smyrna cornerback Will Forkhum on a post pattern, reeling in a 45-yard TD. Anderson then made his second interception and weaved through 48 yards of traffic for a 34-7 lead.

The Bulldogs joined the big-play frenzy in the second quarter with touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards, but each time Riverdale answered.

The first time it took the Warriors one play — an 80-yard run from Miller.

The next time it took two plays, with receiver Antwone Smith covering 92 yards on a deep ball from Thomas with 17 seconds left in the half. That sent the dejected Bulldogs into the locker room trailing 55-20.

“We noticed that most of their players were going both ways, and we knew if they got tired we had the game won,” Riverdale defensive end Chris Perkins said. “But we didn’t expect anything like this.”

Thomas needed only four completions to account for 226 passing yards. Orona was 5-of-16 passing for 93 yards under constant pressure from Perkins, Jonathan Gooch and the rest of Warriors’ defensive front.

Smyrna tailback and Tennessee commitment Marsalous Johnson was limited to 69 yards rushing, 17 in the first half.