Game Filled With Turnovers Leads To 23–13 Loss To Tigers
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
Photo by Eddy Gifford – Evan Koger led the Wolverine offense Thursday night against the Ringgold Tigers with 19 carries for 119-yards. The Wolverines lost to the Tigers 23-13. The Wolverines were their own worst enemy as they committed six turnovers in the game against a good Tiger team.
The Dade County High School Wolverine football team opened the 2024 season last Thursday when they hosted the Ringgold Tigers in a non-region game. The game was moved to Thursday night due to a shortage of officials. Hopefully, this will be the only game that has to be moved this season.
The Tigers came into the game expecting an easy evening of football after all the early season hype and moving to a new classification, AA. They were in AAA last year.
They got off to a good start, scoring the first points of the game with 8:40 remaining in the first quarter on a 15-yard pass play and the extra point put them up 7-0. The drive took eight plays and covered 63 yards.
Before the end of the first quarter, Ringgold would kick a 27-yard field goal with 2:30 remaining to increase their lead to 10-0.
Early in the second quarter, the Tigers kicked another field goal as the Wolverine defense stopped them after just five plays. The 30-yard field goal put Ringgold on top 13-0.
The Wolverines kept themselves in a hole all night with turnovers but put together a 12-play drive late in the first half, going 47-yards in 12 plays to score their first points of the season when Demetrius Walker caught a deflected pass from Bryson Shrader for a 10-yard touchdown.
The extra point attempt was blocked, and Dade County trailed 13-6.
Early in the second half, the Tigers kicked another field goal to increase their lead to 16-6.
The Wolverines cut Ringgold’s lead to just three points midway through the third quarter when Shrader scored on a three-yard run and the extra point was good to make it 16-13 with 6:17 to play in the third quarter. The Wolverine drive was 59-yards in just four plays.
Dade County was driving for another score when they fumbled, and the Tigers recovered and quickly scored on a 60-yard pass play to increase their lead to 23-13 with 6:17 remaining in the game.
The Wolverines were unable to put another drive together and dropped a hard-fought game to a good Ringgold team 23-13.
The Wolverines suffered six turnovers in the game – two fumbles and four pass interceptions.
Evan Koger led Dade’s offense with 19 carries for 119-yards and Brayden Jones with six receptions for 39 yards. Shrader completed 10 of 17 passes for 93-yards but suffered four interceptions.
Dade had only two penalties in the game for 10-yards.
On defense, the Wolverines were led by Carter Christiansen with 12 tackles and four assists; Evan Avans with eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and three assists; Ryker Stanley with five tackles, four assists; H Garmany with three tackles, two assists; Jett Shavers with two tackles, three assists; and Conner Sharp with three assists.
Dade County will be at home again Friday night hosting the Trion Bulldogs in another non-region game. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
