Riverview Middle School's football season ended with a 20-14 overtime loss to visiting Pickens County Middle last week.

The game was replayed in its entirety Sept. 26 after a Sept. 22 game was called at halftime due to bad weather.

The Eagles played defense first in overtime. Pickens scored on a fourth and goal after finding an open receiver in the corner of the end zone. The Eagles stopped the 2-point conversion attempt. The Dragons took a 20-14 lead.

Riverview then went on offense. On the first play, running back Allan Sanchez took the football all the way down to the 2-yard line. On the next play Mateo Fritz was tackled at the 1-yard line. Pickens got the ball away from Fritz, ending the game.

The first half was a defensive battle for both teams, but Pickens managed to take an 8-0 lead into halftime.

"We played really bad in the first half," Thomason said. "We had several penalties and a turnover that cost us a scoring chance."

Riverview was a totally different team in the second half. Thomason put Sanchez at quarterback and ran several "Wildcat" plays that allowed the Eagles to get back in the game.

"This formation really gave us a big spark," Thomason said.

The Eagles tried an onside kick but it was recovered by the Dragons.

Thomason's defense rose to the occasion and stopped Pickens to get the ball back on offense.

Late in the game, strong runs by Fritz and Sanchez took the ball down the field. Sanchez scored the go ahead touchdown with 3 minutes remaining on the clock. Fritz added the 2-point conversion that gave the Eagles their first lead at 14-8.

Pickens scored with just 1 minute remaining to send the game into overtime.

"We came up short on many of our team goals for the year, but one thing can be said about this group. They never stopped trying to get better," Thomason said.