All-around effort: Mustangs turn in solid performance in 21-6 win over Ringgold
Rich Kolesar was looking for a more complete effort from his football team on Friday night against Ringgold.
The Mustangs obliged with a solid 21-6 victory over the Rams in a Class 4A Big Six Conference game at Mustang field.
Antwan Black had 17 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown, Noah Lion threw a pair of scoring passes and LH’s defense came up with three turnovers as the Mustangs improved to 1-1 in the conference and 4-2 overall.
“I was pleased with how we played,” Kolesar said. “We fixed a lot of mistakes that we’ve been having. We weren’t perfect but we did enough to win the game.
“I thought Antwan and Parker ran the ball really well. Noah made some really good decisions down by the goal line. The whole offense played really well. The defense was kind of how it’s been all year, bend but don’t break. We try to rally to the football, we make teams drive and be opportunistic.”
Laurel Highlands’ defense got interceptions from Black and Jonah Coleman and a fumble recovery by Parker Hoff.
“Antwan and Parker both had really good games on defense for us,” Kolesar said.
Hoff also ran the ball 11 for 57 yards.
Ty Anderson completed 10 of 22 passes for 148 yards for Ringgold (0-2, 1-6) with Demetri Lowe hauling in eight receptions for 127 yards. Szyair Dungee led the Rams’ rushing attack with 59 yards on nine attempts and also completed a pair of passes for 33 yards, and Austin Pehowic scored the visitor’s lone touchdown on a 2-yard run.
Ringgold forced two turnovers with an interception by Lowe and a fumble recovery by Tyler Jones.
Ringgold first-year coach Robert Heller voiced his displeasure with the officiating after the game.
“They had one flag all night,” Heller said. “It seemed like they got every call.”
Laurel Highlands was actually penalized four times for 35 yards but the Rams drew 11 flags for 90 yards.
“Even though the calls didn’t go our way, at the end of the day they beat us,” Heller said. “They smacked us in the mouth. We had our opportunities and just didn’t capitalize. Props to them.”
Heller pointed out the Rams were using a lot of young players against LH.
“We had at one point five freshmen in the game,” Heller said. “They’re getting thrown into the fire, but they’ll be alright.”
The Mustangs broke from the gate quickly, forcing a three-and-out and then putting together a nine-play, 60-yard touchdown march capped by Lion’s 12-yard pass to Tristen Baker with 6:04 left in the opening quarter.
The drive included runs of 12 and 11 yards by Black and a 12-yard completion by Lion to Josh Reed.
Ringgold answered with an impressive 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on its second possession that included a pair of fourth-down conversions. Lowe had two 24-yard receptions in the series, including one on a fourth-and-11 pass from Anderson from the LH 31. Pehowic scored the TD on fourth and goal from the LH 2 on the second play of the second quarter.
William Cameron’s extra-point attempt, pressured by a diving Hoff, wound up short, leaving the Rams down 7-6.
After an exchange of punts, Laurel Highlands went on a six-play, 45-yard touchdown drive that included consecutive tough runs by Black of 7, 16 and 11 yards down to the Ringgold 3. Lion alertly took advantage of a Rams mix-up on defense on first and goal and found Reed wide open on the right side for the TD.
“The play was an RPO (run-pass option), the bubble was open so Noah decided to take it,” Kolesar said.
Tanner Bruzda kicked the second of his three extra points to give the Mustangs a 14-6 lead with 4:35 remaining in the half.
Hoff recovered a Rams fumble at the Ringgold 46 with 2:30 left in the quarter which led to a 50-yard Bruzda field goal attempt that came up short for a touchback with 38 seconds remaining.
The Rams took advantage of a 15-yard penalty against LH and got Anderson completions of 10 yards to Lowe and 34 yards to Shavon Madeus for a first down at the Mustang 21 with eight seconds left. Anderson hit Lowe again around the 5-yard line but he fumbled the ball reaching for the goal line as Black tackled him with Dungee pouncing on the ball inside the 1 with no time left on the clock.
“I thought we recovered it in the end zone,” Heller said.
Hoff returned the second-half kickoff 21 yards to the LH 42. The Mustangs then took control of the game with a 58-yard, nine-play touchdown drive for a 21-6 advantage. Black powered his way into the end zone from 3 yards out for the score.
Coleman foiled Ringgold’s next drive with an interception off a tipped pass at the LH 40 and returned it 42 yards to the Ringgold 18.
“Jonah started as a freshman tonight and came up with a really big play for us on that interception,” Kolesar said.
The Rams got the ball back three plays later, though, when Lowe, one play after breaking up a potential touchdown pass, intercepted a Lion throw in the end zone for a touchback.
The Mustangs defense would stand tall the rest of the way, however, as Ringgold’s next three drives ended in a turnover on downs, a punt and then an interception by Black with 2:42 left in the game.
“We worked really hard all week and tonight to get this win,” Kolesar said. “We doubled our win total from last year now. A lot of things are going good but we’ve got three big opponents coming up the next three weeks so we have to get back to work in the morning.”
Laurel Highlands closes its regular season with games at Belle Vernon and Trinity before hosting top-ranked Thomas Jefferson.
Heller felt his team got away from its rushing attack too quickly.
“The whole thing going into this game was to run the football,” Heller said. “It just wasn’t there. But I think we should’ve stayed with it in the second half. After they scored to go up two touchdowns we got a little anxious. We should’ve probably stayed on the ground a little bit more.”
Ringgold threw the ball on 15 of its 25 plays in the second half.
Laurel Highlands ran the ball 37 times for 192 yards and Lion completed 5 of 14 passes for 38 yards as the Mustangs totaled 230 yards.
Ringgold had 29 runs for 131 yards and 279 total yards.
Both teams had 17 first downs with time of possession being almost equal with LH controlling the ball for 24:50 to 23:10 for the Rams.
Ringgold returns home for three straight home games against Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon and Chartiers Valley.