Ridge View defense, special teams flex in 1-point win over Spring Valley
Ridge View and Spring Valley were in a defensive battle from the outset, so it was of little surprise that the Blazers were able to prevail 17-16 thanks to a couple of defensive gems in the fourth quarter that turned out to be the difference.
The first came when Ridge View blocked an extra point early in the fourth quarter to keep the Vikings lead at 6-points. After Jordan Smith scored on a one-yard run on fourth down to tie the game, kicker Anthony Barton booted the extra point for the go-ahead score.
But it wasn’t until a fourth-and-21 from the Blazers’ 39-yard line fell incomplete before Ridge View could celebrate.
The Ridge View defense scored off an interception early, sacked Spring Valley quarterback DQ Smith five times and held the Vikings out of the end zone from the one-yard line on the final play of the first half.
“Our defense finally played the way we expect for them to play,” Ridge View coach Perry Parks said. “They started the game with a pick-6, a huge turnover. We felt like we came out here and played with energy we had a good chance to win the game.”
Darius Foote got the Blazers (1-1, 1-1) off to a quick start with a 33-yard interception return for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Barton added a 25-yard field in the middle of the second quarter. The score stayed 10-0 Ridge View until the beginning of the fourth quarter when Spring Valley scored 16 points in 3:40.
PJ Ulengchong got it started with a 25-yard field goal. On the ensuing Blazers possession, Hykein Nhan added a pick-6 to tie the score at 10 with 9:39 remaining. Blayton Miller set up the next score with an interception he returned to the Blazers’ 15-yard line.
DQ Smith scored on a nine-yard run, but the extra point was blocked.
“They came through,” Spring Valley coach Robin Bacon said. “We work all week about telling our guys to block down and protect the gap and we kind of let them in. That’s a situation where they wanted it a little bit more than us.”
Jordan Smith set up Ridge View’s game-winning score with a 66-yard kickoff return to the Vikings 26. Eight plays later, he lined up in the Wildcat formation and scored from the 1-yard line with 4:45 remaining.
“With a short season, in region play you will take a win any type of way,” Parks said. “We flushed the loss last week and were able to come out here and beat a good Spring Valley team.”
HOW THEY SCORED
1st Quarter
RV – Darius Footes 33 interception return (Anthony Barton kick) 6:05
2nd Quarter
RV – Barton 25 FG 5:56
4th Quarter
SV – PJ Ulengchong 24 FG 11:55
SV – Hykein Nhan 41 interception return (Ulengchong kick) 9:39
SV – DQ Smith 9 run (kick blocked) 8:15
RV – Jordan Smith 1 run (Barton kick) 4:45