Ragsdale scored on their first two possessions of the game and continued to utilize the big play to roll over the Parkland Mustangs Friday night as they opened Piedmont Triad 4A conference play with a convincing 47-8 win. Although Parkland had possession of the football for almost twice as long as Ragsdale, they could not convert their drives into points and could not find a way to stop the Tigers. Ragsdale built up a 20-0 halftime advantage, then used an interception return for a touchdown by Avery Washington to start the second half and scored on their only three second-half possessions to dominate the Mustangs...
D-onovan Smith got the start at tailback for the Tigers after missing the last three games because of an injury sustained in the Dudley game. Smith, who returned for his senior season after gaining over 1,400 yards as a junior, showed that he was anxious to get back in action. On the Tigers' first possession, facing a 3rd and 10, Smith went off left tackle for 12 yards and a first down. After picking up another first down with a 13-yard burst, Smith went off the left side, broke a tackle and went 55 yards for the Tigers first score. Brad Davis converted the extra point and with just over two minutes gone, the Tigers had taken a 7-0 lead and Smith had picked up 80 yards in three carries.
XXAfter the Ragsdale defense held Parkland to a three and out on their first possession, Avery Washington returned the punt 13 yards to midfield. A Mustang personal foul penalty tacked on 15 more yards to set up the offense on the Parkland 35 yard line. The Tigers would only need four plays to get into the end zone for the second time. Two Smith carries for 13 yards and a Luke Heavner to Eric Romer pass for four more gave Ragsdale a 1st and 10 at the 18. Barry Brown took the handoff and went right up the middle for the score. Davis sent the kick through the uprights and Ragsdale had gone out to a 14-0 advantage.
XXLate in the half Parkland got down to the Tiger 20 yard line on a 10-play, 65-yard drive, but the drive stalled and a 37-yard field goal attempt was not close. With 4:37 left until halftime, Ragsdale took over on their 20 and started the drive of the night to close out the first half. All three of the Ragsdale tailbacks got a carry on the drive, with Smith, Brown and Marquez Eleazer all picking up yardage. The Tigers converted a big first down on a Heavner-to-Anthony Stewart 26-yard pass before Brown carried the ball on consecutive plays for 12 and 19 yards to the 20 yard line. Three Smith carries moved the ball to the 4 yard line from where Brown went off left tackle for the score. The 11-play drive ate up four minutes and even though the kick failed, Ragsdale had a commanding 20-0 lead as they headed to the locker room.
XXIf there were any thoughts of a Parkland comeback, they were quickly thwarted on the first play of the third quarter. The Mustangs took over at their 32 yard line, and on the first play, quarterback Carlos Gregory attempted to hit his wide receiver, Brandon Dawkins, on the right side, but Ragsdale's Avery Washington stepped in front of the receiver at the 36, picked off the pass and went untouched into the end zone. With only 14 seconds gone in the second half, Ragsdale extended the lead to 27-0 and effectively ended any hope the Mustangs had of getting back into the game.
XXRagsdale would go on to score twice more in the third quarter as Heavner found Pete Romer open over the middle for a 14-yard touchdown and Marquez Eleazer scored on a four-yard dash off right tackle.
XXParkland got their only points of the night on an 80-yard run by Chris Hairston and a two-point conversion pass from Gregory to Hairston. Ragsdale would wrap up the night's scoring on their only possession of the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Garrison Herndon connected with Justin Briley on a 70-yard pass play. Herndon found Briley breaking behind the defense over the middle and delivered a strike that Briley took the distance. Davis booted the point after to post the final score of 47-8.
XXIt was a "workmanlike effort" for the Tigers as they utilized a hard-hitting defense that, except for the one big touchdown play which came after the outcome was decided, limited the Mustangs to short gains and kept them bottled up for most of the night. The leading tacklers for the defense were Trey Swaim, Kris Steele and Caleb Cates who were each credited with seven tackles. Trey Grimes and Chris Baileyburke were in on five tackles each. Washington had the big interception for the touchdown, while Cates and Winston Craig each recorded a sack.
XXThe offense had one of their most efficient nights of the season. They had eight possessions in the game and scored a touchdown on six of them, including all three second-half possessions. D-onovan Smith made the most of his return to action as he gained 165 yards on 14 carries with a 55-yard touchdown gallop. Barry Brown picked up 69 yards and Marquez Eleazer added 48 as the offense piled up 324 yards on the ground. With the ground attack working so effectively, Heavner was not called on to throw the ball, but did hit on 7 of 11 passes for 69 yards with a touchdown to tight end Pete Romer. Herndon completed his one pass attempt for the 70-yard touchdown to Briley.
XXWith the win, Ragsdale improved their overall record to 5-1 on the season and picked up their first win in conference play. They will continue in conference this Friday as they travel to Kernersville to take on the East Forsyth Eagles. The Eagles are 3-3 after suffering a conference defeat last Friday to High Point Central by a 41-21 score.
Parkland 0 0 8 0 8
Ragsdale 14 6 20 7 47
First Downs 16-R 11-P
Rushing Yardage 324-R 180-P
Rushes 30-R 31-P
Passing Yardage 139-R 90-P
Comp-Att-Interception 8-12-1-R 13-25 -1-P
Punts-Avg Yds 1-24.0-R 6-38.7-P
Fumbles-Lost 3-2-R 2-0-P
Penalties-Yds 7-73-R 6-54-P
Time of Possession 16:06-R 31:54-P
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
R-D-onovan Smith 55 yard run (Brad Davis kick) (9:37)
R-Barry Brown 18 yard run (Davis kick) (6:55)
Second Quarter
R-Barry Brown 4 yard run (kick failed) (0:38)
Third Quarter
R-Avery Washington 36 yard interception return (Davis kick) (11:46)
R-Pete Romer 16 yard pass from Luke Heavner (kick failed) (7:14)
P-Chris Hairston 80 yard run (Hairston pass from Carlos Gregory 2 pts) (5:56)
R-Marquez Eleazer 4 yard run (Davis kick) (5:12)
Fourth Quarter
R-Justin Briley 70 yard pass from Garrison Herndon (Davis kick) (8:49)
Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference
(Conf./Overall)
Ragsdale 1-0 5-1
High Point Central 1-0 5-1
Northwest Guilford 1-0 4-2
Southwest Guilford 0-0 3-2
East Forsyth 0-1 3-3
Parkland 0-1 2-4
Glenn 0-1 0-6
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