Jalyn Shelton runs for over 200 yards in Ridgeland's victory.

Shelton rushes for 237 yards, accounts for 5 TD's

Ridgeland rolled up 505 yards of total offense and the Panthers scored 20 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 21-20 deficit and claim a 40-28 Homecoming win over Darlington at Bowers and Painter Field on Friday night.

After last week’s game at Pepperell was cancelled due to weather, Ridgeland running back Jalyn Shelton picked up right where he left off two weeks ago.

After rushing for 164 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Adairsville on Aug, 19, the junior racked up 237 yards on just 17 carries, found the end zone four more times and accounted for a fifth TD on a 56-yard halfback pass.

Senior Grayson Moore came up big with 85 yards on 11 carries for the Panthers and added four receptions for 59 yards and a score. Senior receiver Marquie Davis had a touchdown and 57 yards on just two grabs.

Shelton went for 75 yards and six points on the opening play of the game, but Tijai Whatley countered for the Tigers with a 36-yard scoring run as the first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.

The Panthers would find the end zone twice in the second quarter, once on Shelton’s 56yard pass to Davis and again on Moore’s 34yard grab from senior quarterback Ivy Boehm, as they took a 20-7 lead into the locker room.

But Darlington would swing the momentum their way in the third quarter. Whatley scored on a 15-yard run and Elijah McKoy caught a 39-yard TD pass from Cameron Evans to take a 21-20 lead as the final period began.

However, Shelton would put the offense

on his back in the final 12 minutes as he scored on runs of 10, 51 and 19 yards to put the game away. Darlington would get one final score with 36 seconds to go on a fumble recovery in the end zone.

Boehm completed an efficient 9 of 12 passes for 77 yards as Ridgeland finished with 133 yards in the air to go with their 372 on the ground. They had 19 first downs to Darlington’s nine and held a significant advantage in time of possession (28:27 to 19:33).

Whatley ran 17 times for 94 yards and was 1 of 4 in the air for 14 yards. He was also picked off once. McKoy had six rushes for 107 yards and added 58 yards on three catches. Evans was 5 of 10 passing for 65 yards.

Ridgeland (2-0) will play at Chattooga this Friday, while Darlington (1-1) will host Heard County.

Notes

Ridgeland is now 2-0 for the first time since 2007 when they team began the year 3-0....The setback was the first regular season loss by a Darlington team since a 35-12 loss at Murphy, N.C. to open the 2014 season and the first regular season loss to an in-state team since a 31-28 loss to Our Lady of Mercy on Nov. 1, 2013....Miss Amaya Harrington, a multisport standout, was crowned as Ridgeland’s 2016 Homecoming Queen at halftime.