Riverdale, Vaughn run all over Lebanon in first-round victory

After an hour-long bus ride and a weather delay on Friday night, the Riverdale Warriors and Lebanon Blue Devils took the field at Danny Watkins Stadium.   It was a sloppy game for most of the night. However, sophomore running back [player_tooltip player_id='1868595' first='Jacob' last='Vaughn'] put together a masterclass for the Warriors, leading them to a 28-7 victory over the Blue Devils.   The young tailback rushed for nearly 300 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, punching their ticket to the second round against Maryville.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1987021264842575975?s=20 </div></figure>   The Warrior defense forced a quick three-and-out to begin the game before giving its offense a chance to work. It took [player_tooltip player_id='1287058' first='Gavin' last='Hampton'] and Co. little time to drive down the field, as they scored in just three plays courtesy of a long touchdown reception by Braylon Burns.   While it seemed that Riverdale rolled in on fire, its offense stalled for the rest of the first quarter. Fortunately for them, their defense came ready to play and kept the opposition from finding paydirt.   A [player_tooltip player_id='378857' first='Hudson' last='Fuqua'] red zone interception midway through the second quarter ignited the Warriors, which led to another scoring drive.   Hampton and his unit marched 90 yards down the gridiron, where he finished it off with a one-yard rushing score to put RHS up 14-0 before halftime.   It certainly wasn't the best passing night we've seen from the Warriors this season, but it was fine, because Vaughn had a career game in the second half.   He started it off with a long run to set up a short touchdown run for himself with 6:06 left in the third quarter. Just five minutes later, he rattled off his second 50+ yard run of the night, this one ending with him finding the end zone.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/connersmith04/status/1987012619874570622?s=20 </div></figure>   Lebanon would score a late touchdown to wipe away its goose egg on the scoreboard, but it was nowhere near enough.   Although it was a sloppy contest, the Warriors were too much for the Blue Devils, cruising to a 28-7 win.   Player of the Game    Vaughn was sensational on a night where his passing attack was nowhere near its best. The young running back ran for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in the 28-7 victory.   He's a compact runner who's physical, patient, speedy and has excellent vision.   While he's one of the best running backs in the state, he needs to grow more. However, he's a sophomore and has plenty of time to do so. Once he does that, Vaughn will be unstoppable.    Other Notable Names   2026 ATH TJ Searcy – Lebanon   Even in a losing effort, TJ Searcy had a solid game for the Blue Devils. He plays both ways as a wide receiver and defensive back, but looks to be better suited for defense.   The senior had an interception, followed by a long return, and several good coverage snaps on one of the better receiving corps in Tennessee. On the other side of the ball, he was a productive receiver who helped Lebanon move the ball somewhat throughout the game.   2026 WR Braylon Burns – Riverdale   Burns started this game with a bang by setting the tone on his long catch and run to give Riverdale the early lead.   That was clearly his best play of the night, but the senior wide receiver made several other impressive catches to help his offense.   While he's a bigger guy at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Burns moves well. Other players on his team receive the majority of love from people, but he's a talented receiver who is a key piece of the Warrior offense.   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/dreotey.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1702204" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Riverdale defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='904747' first='Dre' last='Otey'].</figcaption></figure>   2027 DB [player_tooltip player_id='904747' first='Dre' last='Otey'] – Riverdale   [player_tooltip player_id='904747' first='Dre' last='Otey'] came back from injury just a few weeks ago and has made a huge difference in the Riverdale secondary. He stands 6-foot-2 with a longer frame and plenty of athleticism to lock down most receivers in the state.   He had a big game against Lebanon, where he was targeted very few times and even made some big plays in the tackling department.   Otey is a highly talented defensive back who is one of Riverdale's X-factors for the playoffs.   2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='1151463' first='Ayden' last='Emmons'] – Riverdale   Senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1151463' first='Ayden' last='Emmons'] led the way in shutting down the Blue Devil offense on Friday night. He's a leader on the defensive front who helped his team line up while making some vital plays that resulted in negative yards.   At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Emmons has a solid frame, good football IQ and the ability to play in space.   He's one of the more slept-on linebackers in Tennessee, but he will play a huge factor in a potential deep playoff run for the Warriors.

After an hour-long bus ride and a weather delay on Friday night, the Riverdale Warriors and Lebanon Blue Devils took the field at Danny Watkins Stadium.