#7 Ridge Spring-Monetta Tops #6 Blackville-Hilda in Key Region Game
Trojans win on the road by relying on the hot hand of Leaphart and an opportunistic defense
#7 Ridge Spring-Monetta knocked off #6 Blackville-Hilda 30-22 in Blackville Friday to earn a key win over the defending region champion and improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in class 1A, region 3 action. The Trojans scored all of their points in the first half, benefitting from the continued hot hand of senior quarterback Remedee Leaphart, who completed 10 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns while gaining another 75 yards on the ground, all before halftime. Leaphart came into Friday’s game on a roll after accounting for 13 touchdowns in the team’s prior two games, both wins, when Ridge Spring-Monetta posted a combined 120 points against #9 Lewisville two weeks ago, and Denmark-Olar last week.
But it was the scoring punch from Ridge Spring-Monetta’s defense that put the Trojans over the top against a gritty Blackville-Hilda bunch that played only its third game of the season and suited up only five seniors after losing key members from last season’s championship team.
Points by the Defense
The first touchdown created by RSM’s defense came after Blackville-Hilda’s Dewan Bates intercepted a Leaphart pass at the Blackville-Hilda 1-yard line. Dantrell Weaver recovered a fumbled Blackville-Hilda snap in the end zone on the next play to give Ridge Spring Monetta a 10-0 lead with 6:37 left in the first quarter.
Later with 27 seconds remaining in the second quarter, James Bosket picked off a McKenzie Atterberry pass at the 25-yard line and returned it 74 yards to the Blackville-Hilda one. Nehemiah Brooks punched it in with 10 seconds left in the half to give Ridge Spring-Monetta a 30-16 lead and what would be the last points of the night for the Trojans.
“We have really worked hard on trying to play better defensively and get our defense to score,” third year coach Brian Smith explained after the game. “The pick at the end of the half was crucial because it got us down there with a chance to score. We punched it in. It’s the second time… golly it’s the fourth time in five games we’ve had when it’s a one score game. And we’ve won all four of them. So we gotta continue to try to win those type ball games.”
Leaphart Deals on Consecutive Scoring Drives
The pivotal pick right before halftime was the second interception of the game for Bosket, who also caught a touchdown pass from Leaphart in the first quarter to cap off a 49 yard drive that gave Ridge Spring-Monetta a 16-0 lead.
That drive was ignited by an interception (the Trojans snagged 3 in total) near mid field by Jamarious Lockett.
After Blackville-Hilda answered Bosket’s score with a touchdown of its own, Lockett was next to score on a 5-yard touchdown reception to finish an 81-yard drive that put the Trojans ahead 24-8 early in the second quarter. Lockett caught 3 passes for 64 yards on the night.
Leaphart’s Improvisational Skills Shine
Leaphart and wide receiver Bret Smith talked after the game about the creative quarterback’s knack for keeping plays alive and creating opportunities for his receivers, who know not to give up on a play, no matter how far away from Leaphart they might be while he scrambles for an opening.
“I just want to be a playmaker,” Leaphart said. “Like coach said, just be the point guard on the field. I’m just havin’ fun, man, honestly. I just try to win.”
Smith, who caught 3 passes for 53 yards, agreed that he has a special guy throwing him the ball.
“Whenever Rem’s at quarterback, you know not to give up on a play,” Smith explained. “He’ll be all the way over there on that side of the field. And I’ll be on the opposite side, and he’ll somehow find me all the time.”
Leaphart picked up another 20 yards rushing in the second half to make it 95 yards on the ground in the game.
Buckmon a Beast for Blackville
When Blackville-Hilda was able to keep possession of the ball, the Hawks had success running it. Veteran running back and linebacker Omarion Buckmon put on an incredible display of rushing, tackling and hitting. And he almost willed his team to victory. Buckmon rushed 14 times for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns. He recorded 9 tackles, including one for a loss, and he forced a fumble as well.
After Ridge Spring-Monetta took a 16-0 first quarter lead, it was Buckmon who ran 43 yards to the 1-yard line before punching in a 1-yard score on the next play, and then a 2-point conversion after that, to make it 16-8. Then when Blackville-Hilda fell behind 24-8 in the second quarter, Buckmon took off for a 45-yard touchdown run and followed it up again with another 2-point conversion.
Finally, during the fourth quarter when Ridge Spring-Monetta led 30-16, Buckmon did most of the heavy lifting on a 92-yard touchdown drive before KJ Sabb finished things with a 2-yard TD run to make it 30-22 with a little more than 6 minutes left. Buckmon had been forced to take the last play of the drive off because he’d lost his helmet after 3 straight bruising rushes inside the red zone.
Blackville-Hilda had a chance to tie the game with less than 4 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. After pinning Ridge Spring-Monetta deep in its own territory and forcing a punt that went almost nowhere, the Hawks failed to gain any yardage during 4 plays inside the red zone. During the series Kanaan Ligons recorded 3 tackles to go along with an incomplete Blackville-Hilda pass. Ligons logged 4 tackles and a sack in the fourth quarter to help the Trojans hold the lead while the offense went scoreless in the second half.
Ligons Made the Needed Stop
Up Next
Ridge Spring-Monetta (4-1, 2-0) will host non-region foe Hannah-Pamplico (2-1). Thursday. Blackville-Hilda (2-1, 1-1) will visit region opponent Calhoun County (1-, 0-1) this Friday.