Honaker falls to playoff bound Wolfpack
Honaker (17) vs. Ridgeview (24)
Written: Nov 07, 2015
By ANTHONY STEVENS
for the Daily Telegraph
ROSE RIDGE, Va. — It’s now five wins in a row and a playoff spot for the Wolfpack.
Ridgeview, in its first year of existence, held off a stiff challenge from Honaker for a 24-17 non-conference win on Friday.
If several things happened Ridgeview (6-4) could have made the playoffs with a loss, but with the win they are definitely in.
“Win and we’re in, lose we don’t know what happens,” Ridgeview coach Rick Mullins said. “It was a playoff atmosphere. I told my guys in practice we can’t control a lot of things, but if we win we control what happens for us. I’m very proud of my guys.”
Honaker (7-3) had several opportunities, but were stung by three turnovers and a costly penalty that nullified a touchdown.
“We get in these tight ballgames and we keep making mistakes,” Honaker coach Doug Hubbard said. “We’re making mistakes and when you play a good football team it cost you, we have to clean up those things. There is nothing wrong with my kids’ desire and effort.”
The Tigers could never get their ground game established, while the Wolfpack amassed 302 yards on the ground. It was a huge night by 5-foot-10, 175-pound running back Ryan Turner. He churned out 236 yards on the ground on only 27 carries.
“We’ve played well against the run most of the year,” stated Mullins. “Our defense played well enough to win.
“Ryan ran the ball hard and our offensive line opened some holes. The only thing that stopped our running game was penalties. We had two or three big runs called back. Our run game has gotten better as the year went on.”
Both teams started the game trading punts. Then on the second possession by Ridgeview they drove 70 yards on eight plays. James Stanley scored up the middle on a 2-yard run. The Tigers then had their first turnover, when Austin Reynolds picked off a pass. The Wolfpack quickly scored again on a 4-play drive to go up 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Honaker got on the scoreboard on an 11-play drive, when Jordan Stout booted a 41-yard field goal. After a short punt by Ridgeview the Tigers put together a 7-play, 73-yard drive. Bryson Bostic rambled in from two yards out to pull Honaker within 14-10 at halftime.
The Tigers took the second half kickoff and lost a fumble on their first offensive play. Driving from the Honaker 17, it took Ridgeview only four plays to score on a 1-yard rush by Turner for a 21-10 advantage.
Colton Ratliff added a 37-yard field goal for the Wolfpack to go up 24-10 with 2:52 to play in the third quarter.
Honaker pulled within a touchdown late in the game. Hartley Hilton threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Brent Coleman, with 1:34 left to play.
The Tigers defense forced a punt, but another fumble was recovered by the Wolfpack to end any chance for a late comeback.
“It was a hard fought football game,” Mullins said. “It came down to the last possession. It was a good football game between two teams fighting each other.”
Honaker will still advance to the playoffs against an opponent that will be determined later this weekend.
“We have to continue to improve,” Hubbard said. “We have to work hard. We have to lineup and play, we get the job done or go home.”
Honaker.......................0 10 0 7 — 17
Ridgeview......................7 7 10 0 — 24
Scoring Summary
RID—Stanley 2 run (Ratliff kick)
RID—Stanley 1 run (Ratliff kick)
HON—Stout 41 FG
HON—Bostic 2 run (Stout kick)
RID—Turner 1 run (Ratliff kick)
RID—Ratliff 37 FG
HON—Coleman 59 pass from Hilton (Stout kick)
Team Stats
First Downs: HON 16, RIDGE 13; Rushes-Yards: HON 16-57, RIDGE 44-302; Passing Yards: HON 175, RIDGE 47; Comp-Att-Int: HON 13-22-1, RIDGE 5-6-0; Fumbles-Lost: HON 2-2, RIDGE 1-0; Penalties-Yards: HON 2-15, RIDGE 10-85; Punts-Average: HON 1-45, RIDGE 3-35.
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