The Oakland Patriots easily beat the Riverdale Warriors 41-7 on Thursday night in the annual “Battle of the ‘Boro” in front of more than 9,000 fans at Tomahawk Stadium. The game opened the 2013 Great American Rivalry Series presented by the U.S. Marine Corps. Since the “Battle of the ‘Boro” began in 1974, the Warriors have controlled the series 31-11 with wins in 13 of the last 15 meetings. However, the Patriots won last season’s meeting 17-14.

MVP

Fred Wade

Oakland

SCHOLAR ATHLETES

Kyle Belvins

Riverdale

David Newman

Oakland

HALL OF FAME

Gerald Griffin

Riverdale

GAME SUMMARY

After a disappointing 6-5 season in 2012, the Patriots, featuring five players with Division I offers, have been projected to make a strong push to win their first state title since 2008. They showed why early on. Oakland built a 20-0 lead -- which included a 14-yard TD on an interception by 245-pound sophomore tackle Ty Nix -- and never looked back. Riverdale's only score was a 16-yard run by sophomore Ken Collins that made it 20-7.