Safety Dance: Ridgeland shuts out Gilmer
The Ridgeland Panthers kept their region championship hopes alive on Friday night with a 32-0 Senior Night shutout of the Gilmer Bobcats at Bowers and Painter Field.
The offense came up with 337 total yards, 259 on the ground, while the defense and special teams would make several big plays to aid in the victory.
Ridgeland (7-1, 4-1) would open the scoring on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ivy Boehm to Stephon Walker before Conner Middleton kicked the first of four extra points.
Jahmar Bell would turn in the first big play for the Panther defense by blocking a Gilmer field goal attempt. Ridgeland would turn the ball back over to the Bobcats following an interception in the endzone, but the next few minutes would see the Panthers assert themselves on defense and special teams.
Starting at its own 15-yard line after a penalty, Skye Wilson fought off a block to sling down Gilmer quarterback David Smith at the Bobcat 1 for a third down sack.
On the next play, Jermiah Conyers came through virtually untouched right up the middle to block a Gilmer punt. The ball went out of the back of the endzone for a safety to boost the lead to 9-0.
The ensuring free kick would be picked up by Markeith Montgomery and the junior speedster blasted untouched right through the heart of the Bobcats’ kick coverage team for a 67-yard touchdown.
The defense would go back to work on Gilmer’s next possession. Wilson took down Smith for another big loss and heavy pressure from Jordan Tucker would result in a fumble in the endzone. Gilmer would recover the ball, but another two points would go up on the board for Ridgeland as the lead quickly grew to 18-0.
The Panthers would add one final score with 1:59 left in the half as Montgomery took a jet sweep to the right and got a great pulling block from lineman Christian Gentry on the corner to spring him for a 34-yard scoring scamper.
Ridgeland would add their final points after a punishing, 10-play, 67-yard, third-quarter drive as Jalyn Shelton would run it in from two yards out.
Shelton had 89 yards on 18 carries and completed a pass for a 38-yard completion to Markeion Jones. Conyers, normally a defensive lineman, got two carries on offense on Senior Night and picked up 53 yards.
Montgomery had 43 yards on six carries and Moore went for 38 yards on nine rushes as 10 different ball carries got into the game. Boehm was 3 of 7 in the air for 40 yards.
Ridgeland will play at Southeast Whitfield in the regular season finale this Friday night, while Gilmer (0-9, 0-5) will close out the year at home against LaFayette.
Should Ridgeland beat Southeast and Pickens defeat Heritage at home, then Ridgeland, Northwest Whitfield and Pickens would all finish in a three-way tie for first place.
Northwest has already completed its regular season with a 5-1 record in region play.
The tiebreaking procedure had not be finalized as of press time.
Should Ridgeland and Heritage win on Friday, the Panthers would win the region outright due to their head-to-head victory over the Bruins. Northwest would finish second.
Heritage and Pickens would be tied for third place and the Generals would be the No. 3 seed for state based on beating the Dragons.