Ringgold overpowers Dade County in season-opening home win
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold's Bryant Marshall celebrates after making a long catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga. Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold's Bryant Marshall celebrates after making a long catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Ringgold flexed its firepower on both sides of the football in Thursday night’s season-opening 38-7 win over Dade County at Don Patterson Field.
Ringgold had seven rushes of at least 15 yards in the first half, and Grower’s powerful 3-yard drive into the end zone made it 38-0 with 7:06 left in the second quarter. By halftime, the home team had compiled 205 yards on the ground.
Helping pave the way up front was 6-foot-4, 370-pound senior center Slade “Big Rig” Swaney, who had four pancake blocks in the victory.
“The key to dominating right away is our togetherness,” Swaney said. “We are all brothers and understand how to work together. We have a level of communication that I feel like a lot of high school O-lines don’t have. If something happens that is not planned, we are able to come together and fix what happened.
“Coach Bo (Lee Bohannon) helps us a lot, and our running backs are special. I love those guys. It’s fun to block for them.”
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Dade County’s H Garmany runs for a first down against Ringgold in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Bryant Marshall, front left, recovers a fumble against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Bryant Marshall, front left, recovers a fumble against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Bryant Marshall pulls in a deep catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Bryant Marshall pulls in a deep catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold quarterback Zach Grower powers his way into the end zone for a touchdown against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Haddon Fries picks up a big gain on the ground against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Haddon Fries is met by Dade County’s H Garmany during the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Haddon Fries just misses making a one-handed catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Grady Haddock catches a long touchdown pass against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Grady Haddock catches a long touchdown pass against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Jeremiah Frost gets away from a Dade County tackler on a first-quarter touchdown run against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Jeremiah Frost gets away from a Dade County tackler on a first-quarter touchdown run against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Jeremiah Frost takes off on a first-quarter touchdown run against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Ringgold’s Bryant Marshall celebrates after making a long catch against Dade County in the season opener for both teams Thursday night at Don Patterson Field in Ringgold, Ga.
Frost finished with a game-high 117 rushing yards on just 10 carries, which included touchdowns of 24 and 16 yards. Meanwhile, Fries gained 77 yards on just four carries, including runs of 31 and 26 yards.
The offensive line also allowed time for Grower to showcase his arm on deep connections of 48 yards to sophomore Bryant Marshall and a 41-yard touchdown down the left sideline to junior Grady Haddock. Grower was 6-of-10 passing for 114 yards and a score while adding 34 yards and the touchdown on the ground.
Fries was also sharp defensively as he had half a dozen tackles and two tackles for loss.
“Playing for Ringgold means a lot to me,” said Fries, who also shines on the baseball diamond for the Tigers. “I could have gone to Baylor. They offered me my eighth-grade year, but I said no. I just wanted to play for the town of Ringgold. This is where I want to be. This is home.”
Both of these programs made the GHSA playoffs last season — Ringgold advanced to Class AA’s second round and wound up 8-4, while Dade County exited in Class A Division I’s opening round and finished 4-7 — but this opener was a mismatch almost from the start.
After 10- and 15-yard rushes by Dade County’s H Garmany to begin the game, the Wolverines’ offense was snuffed out completely the rest of the first half as they gained only 43 yards over their next 28 plays.
Ringgold’s defense at one point delivered five straight three-and-outs.
Marshall was stellar in his Tigers debut as he added a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and a quarterback hit.
