After a 49-0 loss in a regular-season
meeting with Riverdale, Smyrna coach Philip Shadowens used the words
“humiliating” and “embarrassing” to describe the Bulldogs’
performance.
When his team pulled off the
state’s biggest upset Friday against those same Warriors, he spoke of
the two simple words that made up his pregame speech, “I believe.”
For the first time in school history,
in the 18th meeting between the two Rutherford County schools, Smyrna
defeated Riverdale 9-7 in a TSSAA Class 5A State Football Playoffs
quarterfinal game at Tomahawk Stadium.
The Bulldogs (11-2) will play host to
unbeaten Ooltewah (13-0), a 42-14 winner over Knoxville Farragut Friday,
Nov. 24 at Robert L. Raikes Stadium.
“We got a second chance at them,”
said Smyrna junior quarterback Sonny Gray, who beat a fierce Riverdale
pass rush to get off a 60-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Josh
Crouch to give the Bulldogs a 9-7 lead with just 20 seconds remaining in
the third quarter. “We came in the first time (against Riverdale)
thinking we were going to drill them and they drilled us. Coach said
before the game it’s simple we just have to believe.
“He just said two words, ‘I
believe.’”
Gray and Crouch combined for the big
play on offense, but it was the Smyrna defense that finished the job.
Deep in Smyrna territory, the
Bulldogs forced a fumble from Riverdale fullback Monty Newsom and junior
defensive back Jonah Hendricks recovered at the 11. It was his second
fumble recovery of the game.
The Warriors got the ball back when
Scott Thomas intercepted a Gray pass at the Smyrna 36. Riverdale got to
the 17, but on fourth down at the 17, kicker Jasper Driskill’s 34-yard
field goal attempt went wide right with just 2:30 left in the game.
“I had 80 kids and a whole bunch
of coaches on our sidelines that believed,” said Shadowens, reiterating
his “two word” pregame. “It came down to that belief that we were
good and that belief that we could be physical and that belief that we
could make a play when the game was on the line.”
Michael Hosford gave Smyrna a 3-0
lead with a 23-yard field goal. He had missed a field goal from the same
distance on the previous series.
Smyrna had the ball in Riverdale
territory in each of its three first-quarter possessions, but came away
with only three points.
Riverdale took a 7-3 lead with 10:22
left until halftime. Quarterback Thomas finished a 10-play, 80-yard drive
with a 7-yard touchdown run.
The Warriors also failed on a prime
first-half scoring opportunity. With Thomas sitting out with an injury,
the Warriors elected to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal on a
fourth down at the Smyrna 3. Backup quarterback Paul Boykin was stopped
two yards shy of the goal line.
“We kind of plodded along all
night. We had our chances and just didn’t capitalize,” said Riverdale
coach Ron Aydelott. “My hats off to (Smyrna). They had a great game plan
and did a great job.”
— Steve Heath, 278-5169
