Varsity newcomers state case
MISSOURI CITY— Ridge Point running back Je’Marcus Johnson put in two years of hard work, most of which went unnoticed as his Panthers prepared for their first varsity campaign by toiling away on sub- varsity.
He does not want to wait a moment longer than necessary for the payoff.
The junior rushed for 229 yards and five touchdowns in a 52- 19 win over Willowridge on Saturday at Hall Stadium, helping Ridge Point take a big step toward making the playoffs this season.
“It was hard, at least last year, because we knew that we had a team that could play on the varsity level, and we knew we had a lot of talent,” said Johnson, who had the first five offensive touchdowns for the Panthers. “It was a long process, but we finally got our chance and we’re making the best of it.”
Ridge Point ( 4- 3, 3- 1) entered the game in a tie for fourth in District 224A withWillowridge ( 3- 4, 2- 2). It left in a three- way tie for second with Stratford and Tomball, which it faces this week.
“It’s huge,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.”
Tide turns quickly
It looked like it would be hard for the Panthers to stop the Eagles, who lost in a shootout with Tomball last week, after their opening drive, a nine- play, 71- yard march that ended with a 23- yard touchdown run by Cordera Thomas.
Johnson answered that score, and Jordan Tolbert intercepted quarterback Trenton Campbell onWillowridge’s ensuing series and returned it 29 yards for a 14- 7 lead late in the first quarter.
From there, it was all Ridge Point.
Led by Johnson and a dominant offensive line, the Panthers scored on six straight possessions, with Johnson’s longest scoring run — a 48- yarder — giving thema 42- 7 edge with 2: 32 left in the third quarter.
“We challenged the offensive line after we played ( Fort Bend) Marshall to start dominating like they did before, and they have the last two weeks,” Ridge Point coach Brett Sniffin said. “They’ve played like we knew they could play.”
Campbell, who threw for 430 yards and four touchdowns with one interception last week, was picked off four times. Tolbert supplied two on back- to- back passes. Camyron Brown had the other two in the second half.
Passing problems
Campbell finished 10of- 21 for 169 yards and did not throw for a score until hitting De’Valin Davis on a 49- yard pass with 19 seconds remaining in the game.
“He was rushing it, trying to force some things that weren’t there,” Willowridge coach Shaun McDowell said. “They had a really good defensive plan.”
Davis also scored on an 88- yard kickoff return, but the Eagles managed just 219 yards to the Panthers’ 383, with just 50 yards on 31 rushing attempts.
“We came out and executed,” McDowell said. “Our game plan was there, we attacked them up front, everything was going smoothly and I really thought we came to play … and we got hyped up.
“( But) after we scored that one, we had a couple turnovers there, didn’t play very good defense at the end, and it was a downhill slide.”