Cole Runion Shines For Tigers In W Over Heritage

Ringgold holds off Heritage to stay unbeaten as Cole Runion shines for Tigers.

 

BY JEFF CATE (TEAM FYN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR)

 

RINGGOLD, Ga. – Catoosa County’s most intense high school football rivalry lived up to that Friday night at Don Patterson Field on the campus of Ringgold High School. The Tigers had the homefield advantage on their side, getting out to a 17-0 lead in the second half. The Generals, despite having multiple turnovers throughout the matchup, rallied to make it a game. But in the end, Ringgold held on to get the 17-14 victory.

 

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The game did not kickoff until 8:15pm due to lightning / weather delays but once the ball was in the air, the Ringgold defense showed everyone in the stands early a sign of things to come throughout the game. On Heritage’s first possession, the Generals mishandled a handoff and putting the ball on the turf. Ringgold’s Logan Roberts scooped up the gift and race in for a touchdown, but multiple penalties on the return wiped the early touchdown off the board for the Tigers but would still have great field position on the Generals’ side of the field. Garrett Edgar, who made his return at quarterback for Ringgold after a week 1 injury at Dade County, and the Tigers’ offense would drive the ball inside the red zone. Ringgold would get inside the 10 but the drive would stall, forcing a 30-yard field goal attempt that Generals would block with 6:03 left in the opening quarter. Cole Runion would add to his Chattanooga area lead in interceptions with his first interception of the night (he had 4 interceptions through 2 games coming into Friday’s game). The score would be 0-0 after the first quarter.

 

Ringgold would strike first 9 seconds into the second quarter as Jeremiah Frost raced in from 11 yards out to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 11:51 remaining until halftime. Frost would carry the load for Ringgold, replacing Haddon Fries who did not play because of an injury, for 194 yards on 23 carries. Runion would get his second interception of Heritage quarterback Caden Hight of the first half and his sixth of the season with 3:45 left in the second quarter, giving Ringgold the ball inside Generals’ territory. Edgar would complete passes to Taylor Pierce and Eli Pursley as Ringgold drove down to the 1-yard line with 27 seconds left in the half. Facing a 4th and goal from the 1, Ringgold head coach Austin Crisp elected to take the points and a bigger halftime lead as Manuel Saldana connected on a short field goal to make the Tigers’ halftime lead 10-0.

 

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Runion wouldn’t add another interception to the box score, but took advantage of another Heritage turnover as he recovered a fumble and took it to the house from about 20 yards out, giving Ringgold a 17-0 lead less than 3 minutes into the third quarter. With Heritage’s backs against the wall, they answered the Ringgold score and silenced the crowd at Don Patterson Field when Hight connected with Cody Bryan from 71 yards out to get the Generals on the board and cut the Tigers’ lead to 17-7. The Hight-Bryan connection would be at full bars with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter, this time from 50 yards out to cut the lead to 17-14; which would be the score at the end of the quarter.

 

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Both teams traded blows in the final 12 minute of this county rivalry, with neither team adding to the scoreboard. Heritage did drive inside the Ringgold 30-yard line later in the quarter, but the drive stalled out. Generals head coach EK Slaughter elected to go for a 56-yard field attempt with just over a minute and half remaining, but the kick sailed wide left despite having enough leg under it to make it from at least 60 yards out. Edgar took a few knees, and the Tigers would celebrate back-to-back victories after a 21-12 win at Heritage last season. Edgar would go 14 of 19 for 210 yards passing while Pursley would haul in 8 passes for 146 yards for Ringgold.

 

Ringgold goes to 3-0 on the year and will host Rockmart next Friday night. Heritage falls to 2-1 and hits the road to take on Gordon Lee.

 

 

Follow Jeff Cate on “X” at @TheJeffCate