The Tigers scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Greenville 14-7 Friday night.
Blue Ridge improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Region II-3A. With Pickens’ 43-0 victory over Berea, Blue Ridge is tied atop the region standings with the Blue Flame.
"It feels really good," Blue Ridge Head Coach Wade Cooper said of the win. "I'm real proud of our young'uns for hanging in there and playing hard even in the face of some adversity."
The adversity came in the form of Greenville's defense for most of the night. The Red Raiders (3-3, 2-1) shut out Blue Ridge – averaging 49.4 points per game – for three quarters.
After being bottled up for most of the first half, Blue Ridge struck with a 60-yard touchdown pass along the right sideline from Ty Montgomery to Brennen Griffin to tie the game at 7-7 with 10:35 left in the third quarter.
Following one of eight Greenville punts, the Tigers launched an eight-play, 82-yard drive capped by Montgomery's 5-yard touchdown run and highlighted by Griffin's 21-yard pass to Stephen Turner on a flea-flicker.
"Their defense is really good," said Montgomery. "They're really fast and strong. They're the best defense we've seen this year.?We knew we had to play hard and keep coming at them and, if we did, a spark would come. That's what happened."
Montgomery completed 13 of 22 passes for 173 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The Red Raiders were without starting quarterback Clark Scolamiero, whose arm was in a sling, making backup Corbin Singleton the starter. ?Singleton suffered a leg injury in the first half, forcing freshman Carson Spiers into the game and turning Greenville's spread offense into an old-fashioned replica of the single wing.
Greenville threw the ball only eight times and ran the ball 37, mostly with Jamond Thomason who finished with 58 yards on 27 carries and Greenville's only score, a 3-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the second quarter.
Blue Ridge held Greenville to 112 yards from scrimmage.?"It all comes down to execution," Cooper said. "Our kids took the plan and executed it."
But it wasn't without its adventures in the second half.?Nursing a 14-7 lead in the final minutes, Blue Ridge went into punt formation, but Jesse Knepp's punt was blocked by Von Owens and recovered by Jaylin Martin, setting up the Red Raiders at the Tigers 36-yard-line.
Alex Surfus sacked Spiers for an 11-yard loss and Justin Howard knocked down a pass in the end zone to force the ball over on downs.?The Tigers took over and had to survive one last punt, but Greenville allowed the ball to roll and time expired as Blue Ridge downed the punt in Greenville territory.
|
|
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Total |
|
Blue Ridge |
0 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
|
Greenville |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
Second Quarter
11:27. Jamond Thomason 3 run (Keith Karmilovich kick), Greenville 7-0
Third Quarter
10:35. ?Brennen Griffin 60 pass from Ty Montgomery (John Michael Bright kick). 7-7.
4:49. Montgomery 5 run (Bright kick). Blue Ridge 14-7.