Dalton’s Laighton Reese (35) sacks Ringgold’s Kile Sholl (3).
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Though his football team came out on the short end of a 21-19 decision Friday night against Dalton, it was hard for Ringgold coach Robert Akins to find many downsides.
The game marked the debut of the rebuilt Don Patterson Field and a standing-room-only crowd — four-deep in one end zone — saw the Tigers nearly rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit before a fumble-causing sack by Dalton defensive star Robert Hardaway helped seal the game.
“We had chances to win and we knew turnovers would be crucial,” Akins said “But our kids fought hard and Dalton’s kids fought hard, and it was a great high school football game. We hate to lose, but we know we’re going to improve each week, and if we can play a Class AAAA school like Dalton the way we did tonight, we’ll do well down the road.”
Dalton sophomore tailback Kelvis Rhodes stole the show early with a 56-yard touchdown run on his first carry, then seemingly put the game out of reach with a 4-yard score seven seconds into the final quarter for a 21-6 Dalton lead.
Ringgold, which had matched Dalton’s early score with an 87-yard drive (though missing the PAT), needed only three plays to answer, with quarterback Dale finding Christian Plott on a 40-yard touchdown pass. The try for two points, however, came up short when Dale was stopped inches from the goal line.