It only took one play for Ridgeland-Hardeeville to flip the script on Savannah Country Day and steal a 20-14 victory on Friday at Country Day’s Saunders Field.
With Country Day leading 14-6 and threatening to score again, Ridgeland-Hardeeville junior linebacker Craven Howard intercepted a tipped pass and glided 85 yards for a touchdown that trimmed the lead to 14-12 on the last play of the third quarter. The Jaguars owned the fourth quarter.
Ridgeland-Hardeeville senior running back Marquise Griffin zipped 50 yards for a touchdown with 5:44 to play and the Jaguars converted a two-point conversion pass to make the score 20-14. The Jaguars’ defense allowed only 14 rushing yards and 42 total yards in the second half, and Ridgeland-Hardeeville intercepted Country Day quarterback Noah Shanklin three times in the fourth quarter.
In a sloppy game defined by turnovers and penalties, Ridgeland-Hardeeville was able to escape with its second victory in a row over Country Day. Last year, the Jaguars won when the Hornets missed a field goal in the game’s final seconds.
“We showed a lot of resiliency,” said Ridgeland-Hardeeville coach Blake Raley. “The defense really stepped up, because the offense obviously has a lot to correct and left a lot on the table. (SCD) is a good football team, and we knew it would be a dogfight just like last year.”
Country Day had two possessions inside Ridgeland-Hardeeville territory during the game’s final three minutes, but the Jaguars intercepted Shanklin to end both threats. After driving to the Jaguars’ 23-yard line with just over a minute to play, Shanklin’s pass went through the hands of sophomore Demetris Robertson and was plucked from the air by Ridgeland-Hardeeville.
After a confused set of discussions among coaches and officials on the Jaguars’ next possession, Country Day forced a punt that Robertson returned 28 yards to the Ridgeland-Hardeeville 21 yard line. But Shanklin’s pass into the end zone with five seconds left was intercepted by Ridgeland-Hardeeville senior Derrell Myers.
“Disappointed for our players, because they worked hard to get ready for this game,” said Country Day coach Dennis Coyle. “I feel for the players. We’ll get back to work on Monday and get ready for the next game.”
Amidst the heartbreak, Country Day senior Ben Johnson starred for the Hornets on both sides of the ball. In the first quarter, Johnson became the school’s all-time leading receiver with his 136th catch of his career.
In the second quarter, Johnson hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Shanklin that gave the Hornets a 14-6 lead. Johnson accounted for 74 of the Hornets’ 119 total offensive yards in the first half, and in the second half he stopped a Ridgeland-Hardeeville when he snagged one of Country Day’s four interceptions in the game.