Ringgold tightens defense, rallies past Phoenix

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

CALHOUN, Ga. - The biggest adjustment of the 2014 prep football season for the Ringgold Tigers may have occurred Friday night, but it had nothing to do with schemes or personnel. Down by 14 points to upset-minded Sonoraville in a key Region 6-AAA game, coach Robert Akins went for an attitude adjustment.

Whatever the veteran coach said, it worked. The Tigers' defense, shredded in the opening 24 minutes, rallied to spark a 38-28 win.

"It wasn't so much that we did anything differently," Akins said later. "It was that the kids just realized they didn't want to lose. That, I believe, is the greatest comeback we've had here, at least when you consider the circumstances."

Ringgold (5-2, 3-2), taking firm control of third place in the region, gave up only 38 yards after allowing Sonoraville (4-4, 3-3) 315 in the first half on just 24 touches, including 212 rushing yards on 16 carries as the Phoenix dominated the line of scrimmage.

Dylan Dixon scored Sonoraville's first three touchdowns, two on passes from Cody Long and another on a 51-yard run. He scored twice in a dizzying 1:30 of the first quarter, sandwiching a Garrett Yates 54-yard touchdown pass for Ringgold from Devin Lancaster, then put Sonoraville ahead 21-14 on an 8-yard pass from Long. The junior quarterback, who was 8-of-11 passing in the opening half, completed the scoring with a 17-yard pass to Clark Johnson late in the half.

"We just weren't very prepared coming out, and I have to take the blame for that," Akins said. "But you could tell at the start of the second half that Sonoraville saw a different spark in our team."

A bad snap and a Long fumble lost 34 yards on Sonoraville's first two plays of the third quarter, setting the tone for a half in which the Phoenix netted just two first downs. Ringgold seized momentum with a 58-yard scoring drive, with the hard-running D.L. Goins scoring on a 10-yard run.

Getting it right back, Ringgold, behind the scrambling Lancaster, drove to the 16, where the drive stalled before Abel Vargas hit a field goal to get the Tigers within four. Garrett Yates then made the game's key defensive play with an interception, and four plays later Lancaster hit a diving Kile Sholl on fourth down for a 4-yard touchdown and a 31-28 lead.

The Tigers iced the game moments later after a three-and-out with a crisp four-play, 62-yard drive, capped by Nathan Bello's 21-yard run.

"We knew we weren't going to lose this football game," said Ringgold defensive lineman Zach Morris, who was in the Sonoraville backfield several times in the second half. "We were awful in the first half. This game was too important to lose."

Goins led Ringgold rushers with 82 yards, with Yates getting 109 of Lancaster's 237 passing yards. Dixon had 72 yards rushing and 57 receiving, while Brandon Dendy had 95 yards on the ground for the Phoenix.

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.

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