Ringgold feasts on Sonoraville turnovers
Last week, when the season was at its darkest point, members of the Ringgold High defense spoke up and challenged their teammates. The Tigers responded, but then it was too little, too late.
Friday night, the Tigers’ team leaders did their talking on the field.
Feasting on six Sonoraville turnovers, Ringgold belatedly earned its first win in Region 6-AAA play Friday night with a 28-7 win over the Phoenix. Coach Robert Akins’ team had lost its three previous region match-ups, and was just 1-4 overall coming into the game.
Akins had reason to believe things were looking up, however, as several veteran players, notably his reliable defensive backs, got the attention of their teammates after a 42-0 first-half pummeling by Calhoun a week ago. The Tigers showed some pride and backbone by keeping Calhoun out of the end zone in the second half, and then put the words into action against the Phoenix.
“That was a much leadership as I’d seen from any of out players in three, maybe four years,” Akins said Friday.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Ringgold defense jump-started the night’s scoring when versatile Andre Tarver grabbed a Cole Godfrey pass that was bobbled and fell forward to the Phoenix 11. Two Tarver carries put the ball on the 3-yard line, and from there quarterback Cole Kibler slipped into the end zone. Garrett Davis added the first of four PATS.
But Sonoraville, which is last in the region in offensive production despite a 62-point outburst against Murray County the week before, answered in fine form with an 80-yard drive that did not require much time. A pair of Utah passes went for first downs and running back Tre Williams fought the final seven yards for the tying score.
The game turned Ringgold’s way for keeps with five minutes left when the ball-hawking Brayden Broome baited Godfrey into a sideline throw. Broome made the interception at full speed and streaked the other way for 41 yards to put the Tigers ahead for good.
But instead of putting the Phoenix away, the visitors bumbled away three subsequent scoring chances. The clincher finally came with just under four minutes left in the game following a Blake Goldsmith pick at midfield. The shaky drive that followed included Dalton Green recovering his own fumble and a third down offsides call that kept the drive alive. Green would get the score on a 4-yard run with 3:20 left in the game.
Forced to take to the airways, Godfrey was intercepted on the second play of the Sonoraville drive by Jared Dunn, who brought it inside the 20. A pair of penalties on the Phoenix halved the distance required and two Tarver carries closed out the night’s scoring.
Tarver ended the night with 94 yards on 19 carries – the biggest rushing night for any Tiger back this season. Dylan Wright had with three catches for 39 yards.
The Tigers (2-4 overall, 1-3 in Region 6-AAA) will head to Chatsworth this Friday night for a game at Murray County.