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MILLVILLE — On a cold Thursday night in Cache Valley, Ridgeline defeated Mountain Crest 34-28.
Though Ridgeline got off to a cold start with three turnovers in the first half, a 20-0 run in the second half created a big enough lead to ensure a Riverhawks victory.
"We started off slow," Ridgeline starting quarterback Nate Dahle said. "Then, in the locker room, Travis Cox gave us a great halftime speech, and we came out and we executed."
Ridgeline was missing a big part of their offense and defense in JT White, who suffered an ACL injury against Sky View two weeks ago. He posted on his X account that he is out for the season after an impressive debut to the season as the Riverhawks' starting running back.
In his absence, Jackson Lindsay stepped up and had the majority of carries for his team, creating bulk yardage plays and scoring two rushing touchdowns. Dahle praised Lindsay for his performance in the last two games since White's injury, but said the credit had to also go to the offensive line.
"That's really who brings us up on the offense," he said.
After trailing 34-14 in the fourth quarter, Mountain Crest had an impressive comeback, scored two touchdowns, and cut Ridgeline's lead to 6 points with just eight seconds left to play. An onside kick attempt was successfully recovered, but it was called back due to an offsides penalty; the second attempt, after the penalty, was not successful and Ridgeline held on for the win.
Despite allowing a late opportunity for the Mustangs to get back into the game, Ridgeline's defense forced several three-and-out series and got the ball back into its offense's hands.
The Riverhawks' special teams unit was equally impressive, blocking a field goal as time expired in the second quarter and successfully executing a fake punt late in the third quarter to allow the team to continue its scoring run.
With the win, Ridgeline improves to 6-1 on the season and will seek to continue their winning ways against Logan next week. Mountain Crest drops to 4-3 with the loss and will prepare to face Bear River next week.
