Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Last Chance To Play Football
RIGGIN’S RETURN TO GRIDIRON BOLSTERS WOLVES
LINCOLN — Dakota Riggin wishes he would have played football last season and determined to do something about completing his high school career at Lincoln without a “what if.”
When he last played in 2011, Riggin served as backup quarterback to two- time All- State honoree Cheyenne Vaughn and was Lincoln’s most- experienced player at that position in 2012 when Vaughn transferred. Then Riggin decided not to play leaving Drew Harris ( 6- 0, 165 pounds), son of Coach Brad Harris, as Lincoln’s only option and the Wolves were so short on quarterbacks that Drew Harris did double duty quarterbacking both varsity and junior varsity games but sustained an injury in week nine forcing Lincoln to use wide receiver turned runningback Dalton Simmons at quarterback in a 40-26 season-ending loss to Farmington.
“I figured it was my senior year. I regretted not playing last year,” Riggin said. “I didn’t want to have that regret the rest of my life. At least, I have one more year.”
Riggin’s commitment to team success this season has allowed Lincoln to exercise options not available in 2012. Lincoln added a tight end package this year and Riggin lines up there occasionally and has been responsive to coaching.
“He’s done a real good job of picking up on the blocking schemes and things we’re trying to do,” Brad Harris said. “He has good hands.”
Lincoln has tapped into Riggin’s versatility and played the 5-foot11, 200 pound senior at defensive end.
“He was a linebacker when he played before. It’s been a good fit for him,” Brad Harris said.
“He gained a lot of weight and increased his upper body strength,” said teammate and starting middle linebacker Colton Barnum after a recent practice. “On defense the other night he was making plays back-to-back. He’ll be a big part in helping out our defense this year.”
Riggin became a starter with an injury to Brandon Crews, in Lincoln’s 28-13 Homecoming win over Berryville on Sept. 27.
Still, Riggin has immense value to the team as a quarterback.
Early in Lincoln’s 47-6 victory over Stilwell, Okla., on Sept. 13, Drew Harris took a hard hit and checked out for one play. Riggin was inserted and executed a handoff to keep the drive going which eventually scored. In the second half, Lincoln wanted to work their third-string quarterback but he dropped a snap in the shotgun losing big yardage and Riggin was sent in.
“Anybody’s dream is to play on a new field, especially one as nice as we have. It was phenomenal to win as big as we did,” Riggin said. “We were the first team to play on that field and win that big, break it in right.”
Riggin isn’t living on the edge knowing the coaches may call upon him at any given moment and he has to be prepared to come in and perform at the quarterback position. Instead, he relishes the challenge.
“I love it, I love the adrenalin rush,” Riggin said. “I love not knowing when. You just have to be ready that’s the part I love about it. I’ve learned not to be nervous and stuff, just to do it.”
In Lincoln’s 71- 0 whitewashing of Dover on Sept. 20, Riggin recorded a hat trick with a quarterback sack in the first half, then took over the helm of Lincoln’s offense and lead a pair of touchdown drives. The running game moved the ball to the Dover 13, then a penalty put Lincoln in a second- and-13 situation and Dakota threw his first touchdown pass in two years for a 64-0 lead.
“Nothing could have planned out better. It was wide open out on the edge. Zach Hall scored a touchdown for us. It felt great,” Riggin said.
In the fourth quarter, Riggin capped off a four play, 35-yard drive by scoring on a quarterback keeper off left tackle — the last of a school record nine touchdowns scored in one game.
Riggin also plays baseball and rodeos. Riggin comes from a long line of rodeo competitors including his dad, Heath Riggin; uncle Chad Riggin and grandfather, Henry Riggin.
He started riding sheep at fiveyears of age and began riding bulls at 14 in spite of getting in what he describes as a bad wreck his first time aboard.
“I rode my bull and then I got stepped on really bad and I was hooked on it,” Riggin said. “What I love about rodeo is it’s a one-person sport. There’s nobody who can do wrong except yourself. That’s the easiest thing to fix.”
On the flip side of that coin, Riggin’s presence on the football field with a team- first attitude improved a whole lot of issues that plagued Lincoln throughout the 2012 season.