Riverdale Raiders fall at home to South Fort Myers in fourth-quarter comeback

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—The Riverdale Raiders hosted South Fort Myers in a Week 2 high school football matchup, with both teams entering off strong Week 1 victories.

The Raiders were undefeated at home last season, posting an 8-0 record on their home field. That success was fueled in part by the energy of Raider Nation, the school's passionate student section.

"We really are just the best in the county," said Dalton Fout, a Riverdale alumnus. "We are the loudest team possible. We always always deliver."

Fout returned to support the team because of the atmosphere.

"Honestly, I came back for the love of the game," Fout said. "The experience here is amazing. I love the atmosphere here. It's really nothing you can beat."

On the sidelines, the cheerleaders worked to keep the energy alive throughout the game. While the players competed for four quarters, the cheerleaders focused on engaging the crowd and maintaining support.

"You really got to put your voice out there," said Sophia Pomares, a junior on the Riverdale cheerleading squad. "Try to tell them like, hey, like you're here to support us. Like keep it up, and it it helps the boys out too if you really have that nice crowd."

The game came down to the final minutes. Riverdale led South Fort Myers 17-6 in the fourth quarter and appeared to be in control, but the Wolfpack mounted a comeback.

South Fort Myers connected on a deep pass for a long touchdown and added a two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to three points with less than three minutes remaining. The Wolfpack defense then forced a fumble in the red zone, giving South Fort Myers another opportunity.

One play later, the Wolfpack scored the go-ahead touchdown to take a 20-17 lead. That score held, handing Riverdale its first loss of the season.

South Fort Myers rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-0 on the season.