Friday Sept. 5 scores and stats

Davie County 10
Mooresville 7

The Mooresville Blue Devils brought their stellar defense into War Eagle Stadium and rode it hard and heavy nursing a 7-3 lead late into the game but it was not to be as Davie scored a late TD and thwarted a Mooresville drive with an interception. Many had said this young Blue Devil squad would get rolled by a powerful War Eagle offense that had put up 37, 52 and 45 points in their first three games. Mooresville next hosts a South Rowan team that has put up huge numbers as well including an earlier victory over Kannapolis, but lost a 42-39 score fest at West Rowan last night. Keep playing tough boys and you'll make the play-offs. Go Blue Devils!

 

Ragsdale's loss

Western Guilford 28
Ragsdale 21

Sorry wossa, Had to let everyone know that Ragsdale still has some work to do. Another good game for Toney Baker, 187 yards on 28 carries (6.7 yds avg). Bold move for Western to pull an onside kick on the opening kickoff. Brilliant, I wonder why more teams at all levels don't try that more often.


Western Guilford shocks Ragsdale
By Jeff Sikes, High Point Enterprise Staff Sports Writer
9/06/2003

Last week Northwest Guilford had a tiger by the toe, only to find a way to let Ragsdale shake free for a 28-21 victory.

Friday night at Miller Stadium, Western Guilford had those same No. 1 state-ranked 3A Tigers by their toes again.

Only the Hornets didn't let go, shocking Ragsdale in a 24-20 road upset win, ending a 26-game regular season Tiger winning streak that stretched over three years, their last loss coming to North Davidson on October 6, 2000 in a 21-18 defeat, also at Miller Stadium.

Gambling from the game's opening play, Western (2-2), coming off a 33-7 drubbing by Greensboro Page the week before, rolled the dice repeatedly Friday. Everything came up sevens for the Hornets, as in touchdowns, the kind Ragsdale (2-1) isn't used to surrendering.

"I think this is the best win I've ever been a part of," Western coach Chris Causey said. "I think the reason is just because (Ragsdale) is always so good and everyone respects them. Every team wants to be like them."

Causey was the man with the plan Friday, pulling off a daring onside kick on the game's opening play, the first in a series of fortuitous gambles that paid off for his Hornets.

Western turned that good fortune into three early points, after Hornets' kicker Spencer Beasley spilt the uprights with a 25-yard field goal with 5:58 left in the first quarter.

Ragsdale responded, marching 75 yards, with the final 13 of that distance coming on Tigers' quarterback Justin Caudle's touchdown strike to Chad Baker, as Ragsdale re-claimed the lead 7-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, Dorrell Jalloh jaunted 95 yards for a score, recapturing the lead for Western at 9-7. Western's point after kick failed, but Ragsdale trailed after a quarter for the first time this season.

Ragsdale got a special teams score when Ernest Simmons blocked a Western punt which Mark Burton fell on before it rolled out of the end zone for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass put the Tigers up, 13-9.

Toney Baker, who ran for 187 yards on 28 carries, ran for a three-yard score on Ragsdale's next possession, putting them ahead 20-9 midway through the second quarter.

Down 11 points and facing a fourth-and-two on their 26, Causey and Western gambled again, and came out smelling like roses. Five plays later the Hornets' Chase Warrington scooted six yards for a score with 2:04 to play in the half, pulling Western within 20-17 at the half.

Jalloh returned the second-half opening kickoff 50 yards, giving the Hornets prime real estate, starting at Ragsdale's 46-yard line. Western took 6:28 to cover the remaining 54 yards, taking a 24-20 lead when quarterback Ryan Stell found Jason Rook for a 10-yard pass and catch.

"We came to play, and we came to win," Causey said. "We wanted to send a message from the start that we weren't here just to play close. We definitely had to gamble a lot and I told my defensive coaches they'd probably hate me for some of the decisions I'd make. Ragsdale is a juggernaut on offense, and the only way I felt we could beat them was to keep them on the sidelines."

Ragsdale, held to a season-low 285 yards of offense, still had a chance to pull out the game on its final possession, and got as far as the Western 25.

But two straight sacks on third and fourth down dashed Ragsdale's hopes and they turned over the ball on downs with 30 seconds left, and Western ran out the clock.

"They had the game plan tonight and made all the plays," said Ragsdale head coach Tommy Norwood, who lost his first nonconference game in six years at Ragsdale.

 

Re: Ragsdale's loss