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LOGAN — Under the lights of Utah State's Maverik Stadium, the Ridgeline Riverhawks held off the Stansbury Stallions 28-27 in the annual Rocky Mountain Kickoff Friday evening.
It was a game that came down to the wire.
In the closing minutes of the game, junior running back and linebacker JT White's pass coverage forced a turnover on downs for Stansbury, adding a defensive exclamation mark to his explosive three touchdown offensive performance. Scoring all but one of Ridgeline's touchdowns, White was one of the most influential factors in the Riverhawks' win.
"It's just awesome to lead my team," White said of his performance. "It's a group effort. I couldn't do it without the rest of my team."
Though the Stallions entered the game as underdogs and ultimately came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard, Stansbury's up-tempo offense seemed, at times, too much to handle for the Riverhawks. The Stallions nearly equalized the score late in the third quarter, but came up 1-point shy as Ridgeline's special teams unit blocked the Stallions' extra-point attempt.
But it was Ridgeline's offensive explosion that proved to be too much for Stansbury. Two of the Riverhawks' four touchdowns came on 40-plus-yard plays. One of those featured White, who broke through the defense and scampered for a 43-yard rushing touchdown. His score, and the following extra point, tallied Ridgeline's final points of the game.
Both sides had their share of mistakes and sloppy plays in the game; clear path touchdown blunders, fumbles, and untimely penalties were the norm of the evening. The two teams combined for a total of four field goal attempts, but not one of them were successful; three missed their mark, and one led to a broken play and turnover on downs.
With their victory, Ridgeline improves to 3-0 on the season, while Stansbury drops to 1-2. The Riverhawks will host the Cedar Valley next week, and the Stallions will travel to Salt Lake City to face Cottonwood.
