Friday’s “Showdown in The Swamp” truly lived up to its billing.

From the opening kickoff to the final buzzer, River Bluff and Gilbert put on display their offensive weapons which guided each team to an undefeated record entering the Lexington County clash.

In the end, the Gators came away with the 48-40 victory over the Indians. Shrine Bowl running back Braden Walker opened the game with a 98-yard kickoff return and put the contest out of reach in the 4th quarter with a 60-yard touchdown run.

For Gilbert, quarterback Jy Tolen threw for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, he was intercepted with 1:51 left by Austin Glad as the Indians attempted to answer Walker’s go-ahead score from 9 yards with 3:16 left. 

River Bluff jumped out to a 14-0 lead when Gilbert answered with touchdown passes of 77 to Dre Harris and 27 yards to Alec Holt by Tolen to tie the game by the end of the 1st quarter.

Riley Myers regained the lead for River Bluff with a 16-yard run with 9:07 left in the 2nd quarter. On Gilbert’s next possession, running back and linebacker Dre Cook was ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct. In the 2nd half, Preston Sansome was also ejected from the game for the Gators.

Tolen tied the game when he found Holt for a 73-yard touchdown passes. At the start of the 3rd quarter, Holt took a reverse and raced 80 yards for a touchdown to give the Indians their first lead at 28-21. 

Holt and Tolen hooked up again with 3:22 left in the 3rd quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass. Trailing 34-21 after the missed PAT, River Bluff cut the deficit to 34-28 on a 27-yard touchdown run by Myers. He finished with 110 yards on 10 carries. 

Holt scored again for Gilbert on a 13-yard run with 11:51 left in the 4th quarter. He finished with 100 rushing yards on 4 carries and 2 touchdowns and 118 receiving yards on 4 catches and 3 TDs.

The Indians failed on the 2-point conversion and River Bluff quickly scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass play from Jackson Stone to Kendall Long to make it 40-35.

Stone finished 6-12 passing for 120 yards and 2 TDs. 

After Walker’s touchdown run put the Gators ahead 41-40, Gilbert looked to answer. Instead, Glad picked off Tolen’s pass downfield and Walker broke free towards the endzone with 22 seconds left to clinch the victory. 

Both teams now turn their attention to region play. The Indians (5-1) play host to Swansea, while River Bluff will remain idle until Oct. 11 when it travels to Dutch Fork.