Ringgold set the tone early in Friday night's 56-0 win over Catoosa County rival Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, but it wasn't the high-flying Tigers' offense that stood out this time.
Ringgold scored two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter (and added another later) to roar out to a 28-0 lead and cruised to its fourth consecutive win to start the season and second in GHSA Region 6-AAA.
"I've never had a team in 40 years score three times on defense," Ringgold coach Robert Akins said. "I'm just proud of the kids. They made all kinds of adjustments, and I was just real proud of the effort and attitude. Those are the things we try to live up to to be the best we can be every week."
Ringgold jumped out 7-0 when Malachi Hill took Mason Parker's screen pass 35 yards for a touchdown just 1:24 into the game. Moments later Hill gathered in his third interception of the season, setting up Kori Dumas' 3-yard run and 14-0 lead.
Brady Gray then made it 21-0 with a fumble return for touchdown, and moments later Dumas added a 46-yard pick-six. Parker hit Jacob Garnica for a 29-yard touchdown pass to close out a dominant first half, 35-0.
"They are struggling to find offensive answers, but they are good on defense," Akins said of the 0-3 Warriors, who have yet to score this season. "Bo (Campbell) is a great coach and he will make the adjustments he needs to make. I know they won't quit and they will keep fighting."
The Ringgold defense, which also had a Kyle White fumble recovery and Ty Gilbert interception, allowed just 72 yards.
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night's Chattanooga-area high school football games)
Trion 49, Cedar Bluff 0: The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 as senior running back Rob Brown put up 202 yards and had touchdown runs of 1, 69, 70 and 11 yards, all in the first half. Logan Eller passed for 82 yards and had a 39-yard scoring pass to Conner Deparlier. Brantley Willbanks, who recovered a fumble for a score, led a defense that allowed just 136 yards.
Calhoun 56, Woodstock 16: The Yellow Jackets (3-1) dominated from the start as senior quarterback Christian Lewis had three touchdown passes and ran for two more in building a 56-9 halftime lead. Lewis connected with Peyton Law for 50 yards, Quin Smith for 34 yards and future Georgia Bulldog Cole Speer for 78 yards. Caden Williams added two touchdown runs and Gage Leonard one for Calhoun, which hosts Cedartown on Thursday in a rescheduled game.
Carrollton 56, Dalton 15: Quarterback M.J. Morris, a North Carolina State recruit, was 17-for-20 for 252 yards and six touchdowns passing while also adding a scoring run to lead the state's third-ranked Class AAAAAA team. Tyson Greenwade (65 rushing yards) had an 8-yard touchdown, and Brady Pendley (146 yards passing) hit Journey Boston for a 4-yard score.
North Murray 52, Coahulla Creek 30: Seth Griffin had five touchdown passes - four to Michael McDade - as the Mountaineers (2-1, 1-1 Region 6-AAA) held off the upstart Colts. Griffin and McDade connected for scores of 47, 8, 32 and 70 yards while also adding a 50-yard score to Judson Petty. Jayden Rice added a pair of touchdown runs for North Murray, while Tyler Locklear scored twice on the ground for the Colts (2-2, 0-2), who also had a pair of touchdown passes by Kace Kinnamon.
Rockmart 50, Sonoraville 28: The Phoenix put a scare into the top 10-ranked Yellow Jackets before falling at home after a second-half scoring barrage by the visitors. Sonoraville led 14-7 after a Jaxon Pate touchdown run and Brant Bryant's 5-yard run, then tied the game at 21 just before the half on Pate's 25-yard pass to Nick Beddington. But J.D. Davis ran for two scores and passed for another, while Dennis Sims returned a kickoff for a score and JoJo Haynes added two touchdown runs for Rockmart.
Gordon Lee 43, Gordon Central 7: The Trojans (2-2) put up 394 yards, most on the ground, led by Nate Dunfee's 123 yards and two touchdowns (17, 31 yards). Ryan Swaney added 68 yards and a score, with Holt Roberts rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown. Caden Derryberry added a touchdown catch from Conner Whitman and Zane Blaylock a rushing score for the Trojans.
Darlington 28, Heritage 7: The Class A private Tigers broke open a 7-7 game in the third quarter with the game's final three touchdowns, two coming off Heritage (2-1) turnovers. The Generals tied the game on Julian Sexton's 53-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, but Talon Shirley intercepted a pass for Darlington on possession later, leading to D.Marion Floyd's 22-yard scoring run. Heritage had the ball inside the Darlington 30 before turning the ball over on downs, with Floyd getting his third score of the night on a 35-yard run.
Chattooga 49, Heritage-Newnan 38: The Bulldogs (1-2) raced out to a 35-7 lead and had to hang on to get the road win. Nic Hester had touchdown runs of 48, 5, 62 and 20 yards, with Zaden Perry adding a 55-yard run and Devon Heroch a 7-yard scoring run that sealed the win after Heritage cut the lead to four with five minutes to play.
LaFayette 28, Murray County 12: Jaylon Ramsey rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Ramblers (2-1, 2-0) to the Region 6-AAA win. Jacob Zwiger added a touchdown and 46 yards on the ground as LaFayette put up 345 yards.
Cass 30, Ridgeland 6: Devin Henderson passed for three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Colonels past Ridgeland in a nonregion game at Cass.
Other area scores:
Armuchee 24, Southeast Whitfield 14
Mount Zion-Carroll 35, Dade County 27
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.