CATOOSA CLASSIC Ringgold snaps losing streak against LFO, 20-16

There have been plenty of good games, and a fair share of not-so-good games, in the long and storied rivalry between LFO and Ringgold.

But Friday night’s contest, the 75th all-time meeting between the Warriors and the Tigers, is destined to be remembered as a great one.

After falling behind 13-0 midway through the first quarter, the Tigers would rally for a 20-16 victory in what was a playoff atmosphere at Tommy Cash Stadium.

Ringgold head coach Robert Akins said it was a solid all-around team effort, but gave plenty of credit to the team his Tigers faced.

“Let me say this about LFO and Coach (Bo) Campbell. We knew they were going to come out here fighting,” Akins said. “They changed their whole offense this past week and it kind of set us back a little bit. We made some mistakes in the first half, but I thought that our defense got better, especially at the end.

We (also) got more resilient on offense in the second half and blocked better.

“We’re just glad to get out of here with a win. Hat’s off to LFO, but hat’s off to my kids and my coaches too. We really pressed hard to make corrections at halftime and I think we got better in the second half.”

Needing an offensive spark, LFO (04, 0-2) installed a new spread offense in the week leading up to the game and gave junior Will Carroll the start at quarterback, while moving Malachi Powell to linebacker to give the Warriors some extra physicality on defense.

Carroll responded with a 16-yard touchdown run on the Warriors’ first possession of night, set up a 46-yard gain from tailback Jacob Brown. Then, after the LFO defense forced a three-andout, Carroll electrified the home crowd with a 72-yard return for a score and LFO took a 13-0 lead just 4:29 into the contest as the Red-and-white looked to make it four in a row over their longtime rivals.

Ringgold (2-2, 1-1) answered with a very impressive 18-play, 80-yard drive that took 6:32 off the clock and ended with Kori Dumas scoring from a yard out with 54 seconds left in the opening stanza. Tigers quarterback Mason Parker accounted for 61 yards on the march.

After an exchange of punts, Jordan Garnica stepped in front of a pass by Carroll and returned it 10 yards to the Warriors’ 13-yard line and Dumas would eventually cover the final four yards, again out of the wildcat formation, as Landon Eaker’s PAT made it 14-13 in favor of Ringgold with 3:52 left in the half.

LFO, however, responded an eightplay drive in just over three minutes. It ended with a 46-yard Al Hastick field goal that staked the hosts to a 16-14 lead at the break.

With neither team being able to score of its first possession of the third quarter, LFO took possession for the second time in the half at its own 19 and proceeded to take nearly nine minutes off the clock on a lengthy drive.

A 28-yard, third-down catch on a wheel route by Jevonnie Womble kept