Long, Lay, defense lift Sonoraville to signature win in Region 6-AAA
RINGGOLD -Sonoraville went into Ringgold on Friday night looking for a signature win and to earn the inside track on the No. 3 seed from 6-AAA for the State playoffs in the process.
And it didn’t come easy, but the Phoenix was the last team standing after a backand- forth battle, pulling out a clutch 41- 33 win on the road.
After the game was tied 14- 14 at half, the teams put on an unbelievable second half, as each offense had big moments. Sonoraville’s defense came up with a big stop on a two- point conversion however, got an Austin Carter interception and a sack on the final play of the game to seal it.
Sonoraville ( 5- 3, 3- 2) quarterback Cody Long then broke off a 76- yard touchdown run with under a minute left for the final icing on the cake. Long finished with 242 yards rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns. His other was a 74- yarder earlier in the fourth quarter.
Sonoraville’s Hunter Lay also had a huge night on the ground with 197 yards on 18 carries. Also scoring on a touchdown run was Kenny Cooper, with a three- yard scamper early in the fourth quarter.
Ringgold’s Devin Lancaster threw for an amazing 469 yards and three touchdowns. Catching touchdown passes for the Tigers ( 3- 4, 2- 3) were Andre Tarver with two from 59 and 47 yards away and Mac Brower with one from 13 yards out.
The Phoenix jumped on Ringgold early, scoring two explosive first- quarter touchdowns. The first came on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Cody Long to Camron Keith on a tricky fake reverse play.
After Sonoraville’s Sherrod Agee recovered a fumble on the ensuing drive of Ringgold, Long went right back to the air, hooking up with Tarik Holmes for a 52- yard touchdown pass as he was wide open behind the defense. Agee’s recovery was one of two the Phoenix had in the first half with Kenny Cooper getting the other.
Ringgold got right back up off the deck however as they scored early in the second quarter on a 59- yard touchdown pass from Devin Lancaster to Andre Tarver. Tarver caught the pass about eight yards down the field and then eluded some would- be Sonoraville tacklers before racing to the end zone.
After the defenses went back and forth with stops, the Tigers tied the game late in the half as Dee King ran one in from four yards out with 36.8 seconds to go to make it 14- 14. The drive was set up by a King interception.
Sonoraville had one more chance before the end of the first half, but a heave to the end zone was unsuccessful as the time ran out.
The Phoenix are on the road again next Friday night as they visit LFO.
NOTE:
Ringgold’s Michael King was taken off the field on a stretcher in the third quarter. No update was available on his condition after the game.