It may be only Week 2 of the High School football season, but a pair of unbeaten teams meet Friday night in Apple Creek, Ohio. The Ridgewood Generals, coming off a win last week and a playoff berth one year ago, travel into Wayne County and play the Waynedale Golden Bears.
Led by Ant Juan Lewis and Nick Strausbaugh, the Bears defeated Tusky Valley last week 41-12. Strausbaugh scored 3 TD’s, including a 36 yard punt return that iced the game with less than a minute to go in the first half. Lewis, playing with goggles for the first time, had over 100 yards of total offense. Included were 3 rushes, 3 receptions, one score, a blocked punt and a sack. That led to him being named the Lem’s Pizza/ultimatesportstalk.com Star of the Game. Quarterback Brevin Riebe also had a score.
Ridgewood opened their season Saturday with a 41-20 victory over visiting Bellaire. After recovering the opening game on-side kick, (something the Bears know about from last week), quarterback Jhett Slusser threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Rayven Davidson with 8:39 left in the first quarter. That was a good start, but what was to come was even better. Because the General offense didn’t hit the field again until the last two minutes of the quarter. But by then they led 20-0.
First came a 90 yard punt return by Billy Bailey for a touchdown. Followed by an interception by Kyle Bethel and he ran it back 60 yards for a Ridgewood touchdown. All that and their was still 2:37 to go in the first quarter. Yet, at halftime, Bellaire had out gained the Generals 193-43. As a team, Ridgewood had 318 yards of Total Offense, 309 of it came on the ground. Led by Junior Trent Harrison with 146 yards on 16 carries.
Waynedale followed much of the same script, taking a 27-0 lead into the locker room at halftime and seemed to coast from there.
Ridgewood won last years game in West Lafayette 30-13 on their way to a berth in the playoffs, where they lost in the first round at Centerburg 21-13.
Coverage of Ridgewood at Waynedale Friday night on ultimatesportstalk.com begins with Golden Bear Rewind at 6, the Pre Game show is at 6:30 and the Kick Off is at 7. Dave Mitchell and Patrick Mitchell have all the play by play action.
