Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009 10:10 pm

Two of the top 10 teams in the state will clash in a rematch Friday night as Riverdale visits the Inferno to play Blackman in the second round of the TSSAA Class 6A playoffs.

Riverdale and Blackman set up the rematch with wins last Friday night as all four Rutherford County teams advanced in the playoffs.

Riverdale romped, Oakland and Blackman persevered, and Eagleville rocked in the opening round of the playoffs as all but Oakland enjoyed home games.

Riverdale pounded visiting Coffee County, 48-0; Oakland turned back a strong, home standing Mt. Juliet, 19-14; and Blackman held on against a surprising McGavock team, 28-20, in Class 6A action while in Class 1A Eagleville pounded visiting Monterey, 42-0.

Riverdale will play Blackman this week. Just last week in the regular season finale Blackman earned a 14-13 overtime win over Riverdale in a rain-soaked contest.

District champion Blackman is 10-1, Riverdale and Oakland 9-2.

Oakland travels to Cookeville, 8-3, in the second round of action.

Eagleville, 4-7, advances against South Pittsburgh, 9-2, next Friday while Middle Tennessee Christian School, which had bye in the first round, takes on Gordonsville on the road. Gordonsville, 7-4, defeated Lookout Valley, 34-6.

All playoff games start at 7 p.m.

Blackman found itself in a surprising tough game with McGavock with a successful onsides kick attempt late in the third quarter turning the game for the Blaze.

After trailing most of the third quarter, Blackman launched a sustained drive that ended with DeShawn Smith’s 22-yard touchdown run, bringing a 14-all tie.

The Blaze then pulled off the successful onsides kick, setting up Jacques Smith’s 26-yard scoring run.

Moments late a Blackman interception set up the Blaze’s third TD in less than three minutes as quarterback Tyrek Collier scored from four yards out.

McGavock didn’t give up and benefited from two late Blackman fumbles, one leading to a touchdown that made the game a one-score contest.

The second Blaze fumble led to McGavock penetrating to the Blackman six but the Blaze defense held on downs to preserve the win.
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Oakland also faced a tough test against once-beaten Mt. Juliet on the Jackets’ home field.

Oakland came out roaring, getting an early safety when star defensive tackle Darius Coffey tackled quarterback Reed Gurchiek in the end zone with 7:23 left in the first quarter. The score came after the Patriots downed a punt on the one-yard line

After the safety, the Patriots went right back to the end zone as Tee Mayberry rambled 52 yards for a touchdown, breaking two tackles along the way and sending Oakland up 9-0.

Mt. Juliet got back into the game with a long drive but just before halftime Trevor Hornsby kicked a 28-yard field goal.

Oakland launched a classic time-eating drive in the third quarter, eating up some seven minutes before Mayberry slashed in from the one.

The home team responded with its own TD but Oakland’s defense controlled the rest of the game.
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Riverdale, as expected, pounded a 3-7 Coffee County team with Adam Davenport scoring three touchdowns in the blowout. Cody West ran for one TD and threw for another.

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Eagleville recorded the school’s first playoff win ever in their second appearance in the TSSAA championship series.

And, the Eagles did it impressively in hammering visiting Monterey with six different Eagleville players scoring.

This Friday’s
playoff slate

Riverdale, 9-2, at Blackman, 10-1

Oakland, 9-2, at Cookeville, 8-3

Eagleville, 4-7, at S. Pittsburgh, 9-2

Gordonsville, 7-4, at MTCS, 4-6