Just a mere five miles separates Jonesboro and Riverdale in Clayton County. Now, the two schools are separated by a game in the standings.
Jonesboro (7-1, 4-0 in Region 4-Division B) ranked No. 7 in Class AAAA, took advantage of some key mistakes by Riverdale (4-3, 2-1), in the form of turnovers and untimely penalties, and hung on for a 23-12 win in a battle of community rivals at Tara Stadium. The Cardinals remained unbeaten in league play and have the inside track to the sub-region crown.
Riverdale still has a huge edge in wins, 22-10, in the series that dates back to 1978. But Jonesboro has dominated as of late, winning the last seven meetings. Many of the players on both teams have competed with and against each other since they were little kids in community recreation leagues and in other sports. In fact, the schools’ starting quarterbacks – Jonesboro senior Zerrick Cooper, committed to Clemson, and Riverdale junior Joseph Cambridge – are first cousins.
Things got a bit chippie and chirpy in the contest, as both teams picked up multiple personal fouls and both were flagged at least once for unsportsmanlike conduct for excessive chatter with officials.
“The discipline piece is something we talk about all the time,” Jonesboro head coach Tim Floyd said. “At some point this season [winning or losing] may come down to how well we handle our emotions. Some of the penalties we got tonight were just boneheaded on our part and we have to cut that stuff out.”
Raider coach Terry Herrod felt much the same way.
“We played hard and tough, but we didn’t pay smart,” Herrod said. “That starts with me. I have to do a better job of stressing the importance of not shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Clinging to a 10-6 lead early in the fourth quarter, Jonesboro took advantage of a Raider mistake to pad its lead. On the second play of a Riverdale possession at its 30-yard line, Cambridge’s pass was intercepted by senior linebacker Terico Balkcom, who returned the pick to the Riverdale 16-yard line. But after two incompletions and a holding penalty, the Cardinals faced a fourth-and-21.
Cooper didn’t flinch. He stepped out of a tackle to avoid a sack, rolled to his right and fired a strike to William Wise on a crossing route in the front of the end zone push the Jonesboro lead to 17-6.
But the Raiders answered on their next drive by capitalizing on a Jonesboro miscue. Senior running back Derrien Dukes took a swing pass 40 yards deep into Jonesboro territory, and then a facemask penalty moved the ball to the 11-yard line. On the next play, Cambridge connected with Gregory White on a fade pattern in the back corner of the endzone to trim the Cardinal lead to 17-12. Riverdale’s two-point conversion try was thwarted by a bone-jarring tackle by Jonesboro senior Kenneth Qualls.
Jonesboro put the game away for good by making the most of two more huge Riverdale penalties late in the fourth quarter. With the Cardinals at midfield, a Riverdale player was penalized for unsportsman-like conduct, and subsequently ejected, and a Raider assistant coach was flagged for unsportsman-like conduct as well. The extra 30 yards in penalties moved the ball to the Raider 20-yard line.
Jonesboro sophomore running back Matavion Brooks carried four consecutive times from there, scoring from two yards out to provide the final margin of victory for the Cardinals
Riverdale 0 6 0 6 12
Jonesboro 0 10 0 13 23
J – Jordan Griffin 12 pass from Zerrick Cooper (ernando Lobo kick)
R – Carlton Crosdale 73 pass from Joseph Cambridge (kick failed)
J – Lobo 38 fg
J – William Wise 27 pass from Cooper (Lobo kick)
R – Gregory White 11 pass Cambridge (pass failed)
J – Matavion Brooks 2 run (kick failed)
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