Riverdale walks off Oakland in Battle of the ‘Boro thriller
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With the Battle of the ‘Boro and a region championship on the line, Riverdale needed one final answer.
Oakland had just taken its first lead of the night when former Warriors running back Jacob Vaughn caught a wheel route for a touchdown, putting the Patriots ahead 34-33. After a night of trading scores, the Warriors suddenly found themselves with little time to respond.
Quarterback Gavin Hampton took the field with one job: get Riverdale into position to win the game.
He delivered. Braxton Benally connected on a last-second field goal, completing a dramatic finish and giving Riverdale a 36-34 victory over Oakland on Friday night.
For the Warriors, the win was about more than surviving a rivalry game. It was a chance to prove they could handle adversity, respond to a late setback, and finish when the pressure was at its highest.
“We trusted ourselves and we came back and finished,” Riverdale receiver Luke Tritch said.
Riverdale looked in control early, with Hampton and Brylan Oduor connecting for two touchdowns in the first quarter. The first came on a deep ball, followed by a screen pass that helped the Warriors build a 13-0 lead.
Oakland refused to let the game get away.
The Patriots leaned on their rushing attack to work back into the contest, with Donte Cameron finding the end zone twice. Daniel Smith answered with two rushing touchdowns of his own for Riverdale, helping the Warriors maintain their advantage.
But Oakland kept finding ways to make the game uncomfortable.
Vaughn, now wearing a Patriots uniform after previously playing for Riverdale, helped bring Oakland back within striking distance with a rushing touchdown. Jordan Turner responded for the Warriors, but Kemani Bass hauled in a touchdown reception to keep the Patriots close.
Then came the blocked field goal.
Oakland’s special teams gave the Patriots another opportunity, and they made it count. Vaughn broke free on a wheel route for the go-ahead touchdown, turning what had been a night of chasing Riverdale into a chance to steal the rivalry win.
Instead, Hampton and Benally had the final say.
Hampton’s confidence in his teammates has grown throughout the season, particularly with a receiving corps he said has spent months building chemistry. That trust became critical as Riverdale worked its way into position for the winning kick.
“I trust all of my receivers to catch the ball,” Hampton said. “I can put the ball in any of their hands and have trust they’ll make a play.”
Hampton credited head coach Will Kriesky with helping the Warriors remain composed throughout the week and in the game’s defining moments.
“Coach Kriesky did a good job of preparing us all week,” Hampton said. “He’s the best coach I’ve played for. He does a great job of keeping us composed and putting faith in us.”
That composure will be important as Riverdale turns its attention to the playoffs. Friday’s finish gave the Warriors a memorable rivalry victory, but Tritch said the team isn’t satisfied with one win.
“It means a lot,” Tritch said. “It was expected, but we need to build off of this and win a state championship.”
Tritch also pointed to the work ethic shared by the team’s playmakers, including Oduor, whose two early touchdowns helped establish Riverdale’s offense.
“Me and Brylan are very similar people,” Tritch said. “We have the same work ethic, and we both want to be the best ever.”
For Hampton, the focus now shifts to carrying Friday night’s mentality into the postseason. The Warriors will need to move past mistakes quickly, stay confident, and continue trusting the players around them.
“Just playing the next play, not reminiscing on the bad plays, just play Riverdale football,” Hampton said.
This will become evident next week as they host Cookeville in round one of the TSSAA 6A playoffs.
Riverdale had every reason to dwell on the late lead change Friday night. Instead, the Warriors responded with one final drive, put the game in Benally’s hands and watched him deliver.
In a rivalry game that came down to the final kick, Riverdale finished the way it hopes to finish its season: with the ball in the right hands and a win to show for it.
