Previously undefeated Ridgeland had its football season come to a close Friday night at the hands of visiting Jefferson, 28-21.
Ridgeland’s Markeith Montgomery again was a standout on offense, and the defense came away with two takeaways to stay competitive, but it just wasn’t enough against running back Colby Wood and the Dragons’ high-powered passing attack.
Montgomery finished the Georgia Class AAAA playoff game with 125 yards on 20 carries.
Things got started the right way for the Panthers (11-1). They received the opening kickoff and marched 73 yards on 10 plays to go ahead 7-0 midway through the first quarter. Montgomery ran the ball five times for 41 yards, and junior quarterback Tanner Hill completed his only pass of the drive for a 15-yard touchdown on a fade pass to Stephon Walker.
As it had done so many times this season, the Ridgeland defense forced a turnover on Jefferson’s first possession when it had a strip-sack of quarterback Bryce Moore that was recovered by senior Derayl Helton.
The Panthers offense responded with a five-play, 51-yard drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown run by Jalyn Shelton to go ahead 14-0 with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
The fast start, however, was answered quickly by Jefferson.
Wood took the ensuing kickoff deep into Panthers territory with a 76-yard return. On the first play from scrimmage fullback Justin Cole took a handoff and rumbled in from 16 yards out. A missed extra-point attempt left the score at 14-6.
A pivotal moment came on Ridgeland’s next possession when Shelton was stuffed for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the Jefferson 49.
The Dragons (10-2) took advantage by converting two fourth downs on the way to a Moore 9-yard touchdown pass to Zac Corbin. And after Moore connected with 6-foot-6 tight end Garmon Randolph on the 2-point conversion, the game was tied at 14.
The Panthers grabbed a critical turnover late in the first half when Cole was stripped of the ball heading into the end zone. Montgomery recovered in the end zone for a touchback, but on the next possession Hill had a pass intercepted.
Jefferson took the lead for the first time on another Moore-Corbin connection – a 26-yard pass. Moore again hit Randolph for the 2-pointe, and the Dragons held a 22-14 lead going into halftime.
To open the second half, Jefferson went on a 10-play, 67-yard drive, ending with a third touchdown pass from Moore to Corbin from 21 yards. After a failed 2-point try, the score stood at 28-14 with the Dragons having scored 28 consecutive points.
Moore wound up 11-of-19 for 150 yards and three touchdowns to Corbin, who finished with six receptions totaling 111 yards.
Ridgeland’s offense woke back up late in the third quarter and extending into the fourth quarter, when the Panthers went 66 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a fourth-and-goal 1-yard run from Shelton to cut the gap to 28-21. Shelton finished the game with two TDs and 19 yards on nine attempts.
Ridgeland found a way to get two more stops defensively, but the offense failed to execute what could have been a tying score as it was forced to punt and Hill threw an interception on its last two possessions.
Contact Thomas Black at sports@timesfreepress.com