DALTON, Ga. – The stage was set for big-time prep football drama, but Stephon Walker didn’t see the need for it.
With Ridgeland and coach Wesley Tankersley facing his old team, Gilmer, in a win-and-you’re-in mini-playoff game Monday night, the atmosphere at Christian Heritage School already was electric. But Ridgeland freshman Walker returned the opening kickoff 85 yards and the Panthers rolled to a 17-0 win and into the Class AAAA state playoffs, where they open Friday at St. Pius X in Atlanta.
“He’s going to be a heck of a player for us and, man, does he have some special speed,” Tankerlsey said of Walker. “He set the tone with that return, and it was huge for us. Waiting around to play that second game was very nerve-racking, especially with the possibility of going against my old team.”
While Ridgeland watched, Gilmer defeated Southeast Whitfield 7-0, the touchdown coming on a 67-yard pass from Thaddeus Bowers to Kell Kiker on the first play of the second five-minute half. Southeast, last year’s survivor in a similar mini-playoff, had two long drives, one ending on a missed 32-yard field-goal try and the other stalling after a personal foul and two sacks.
Southeast ran 18 plays to seven for the Bobcats, but the one big play was enough for Gilmer.
Following a 20-minute break, Walker lit up a huge crowd with his return, breaking up the middle and cutting to the right sideline. He broke through a trio of tackle attempts inside the 20 to finish the return.
Gilmer used a 27-yard pass from Bowers to Lucas Bramlett to get to the Ridgeland 42 and a Bowers scramble to reach the 32.
However, on second down Bowers’ pass was intercepted by Jeremy Masley, who ripped the ball away from the intended receiver and returned it to the 33. Chris Henderson broke off a 36-yard run to set up Miguel Vazquez’s 20-yard field goal on the last play of the first half and a 10-0 lead.
Any Gilmer comeback hopes ended quickly when the second-half kickoff was fumbled, with Ridgeland’s Kleiver Turucz recovering at the 26. Three plays later, Jalyn Shelton scored on a 13-yard run to put the game away and secure the playoff berth.
“This is a good first step for this program,” Henderson said. “We want to go as far as we can this year, and next year we want to do even better.”
Though the Panthers finished the regular season 4-6, first-year coach Tankersley believes they are playing their best now.
“We’re peaking at a very good time; they’re getting used to me and I’m getting used to them,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll carry this over to next week. We’ve got a tough draw, but, hey, I’m glad to have that tough draw and still be in it.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.