Ragsdale Football

Countdown to Kickoff!

2010-12-31T22:55:00.000-08:00

Sweet Win over NW!

2010-10-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

GREENSBORO — Ragsdale scored 18 second-half points, including Brad Davis’ 33-yard field goal with 5:52 remaining, to lift the Tigers to a 24-21 victory over Northwest Guilford at R.L. Billings Stadium on Friday.

The win is No. 3 Ragsdale’s seventh straight, and puts the Tigers (8-1, 4-0) alone atop the Piedmont Triad 4-A, while the homecoming loss snaps a four-game winning streak for No. 6 Northwest (6-3, 3-1)....(read more)

Davis’ fourth-quarter kick was his third field goal of the night. The other two came in the first half from distances of 29 and 32 yards, respectively, and was all the points that Ragsdale could muster as it trailed 14-6 at intermission.
The Tigers scored two second-half touchdowns, one on D-onovan Smith’s six-yard run in the third quarter followed by a two-point conversion and the other on Barry Brown’s 3-yard scamper in the fourth, to pull even at 21-21 with 11:19 remaining.

“Tackling was our Achilles’ heel tonight,” Northwest coach Joe Woodruff said. “We missed some tackles, and we had penalties that killed drives.”

Northwest quarterback Matt Pawlowski completed eight passes on 14 attempts, including two long touchdowns of 53 yards to Ryan Overcash and 94 yards to Reid Baxter.

Baxter also scored on a 10-yard run to put the Vikings ahead 7-0 in the first quarter.

Brown led all rushers, carrying 14 times for 155 yards, with 90 of those coming in the second half.

“We saw on film that they ran a lot of (line)backers, and we ran some stunts and ran our zone offense,” said Brown. “We knew this was a big game coming in here with it being their homecoming, and we’ve been working hard all year long in practice to do well in big games like this.”

Ragsdale quarterback Luke Heavner completed 15 of 22 passes for 180 yards, a two-point conversion and no touchdowns.

“Our defense came up big tonight in the second half,” said Ragsdale coach Tommy Norwood. “We’re playing a lot of sophomores on defense, and not a lot of seniors. We’ve played in a lot of big football games, and I’m proud of our kids tonight, because I feel like they took advantage of some opportunities.”

Erik and Duncan

2010-10-08T19:07:00.001-07:00

Erik "STUD" Romer and Duncan " Dunk" Sparks enjoyed the post game after beating Southwest.

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Tyler, Chris, and Joey

2010-10-08T19:04:00.001-07:00

Tyler, Chris, Joey and Joey's friend Chelsea enjoy the beating Ragsdale put on Southwest tonight.

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Article on Friday's East Forsyth Game from the News and Record

2010-10-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

By David Reynolds

Special to the News & Record

Related Links Article: High school football 2010 (11:32 am) Article: High school football scores, photos (11:14 am) What do you think? 0 comment(s) Read other visitors' comments and post your own. Be the first to comment on this story. KERNERSVILLE — It took almost all of four quarters, but Luke Heavner finally showed the value of a senior signal caller.
The Ragsdale quarterback had only completed six passes all game in a stagnant showing by the Tiger offense, but apparently all he needed was a little pressure.
With a shade over 3 minutes left on the clock and his team down 7-3, Heavner found his efficiency and marched Ragsdale (6-1) 65 yards for the game-winning score, ...
a drive that finished with a 4-yard strike to Anthony Stewart to complete a 10-7 victory against East Forsyth (3-4).
“I looked at the offensive line and said, 'If you give me time, we’re going to put the ball in the end zone,’ ” Heavner said of the final drive. “That’s exactly what they did. They played great up front and we put it in.”
Heavner accounted for 54 of the 65 yards on the final drive, and his favorite target in the final sequence was Deshawn Shouse, who East Forsyth left wide open underneath. Shouse caught three passes to help Ragsdale keep the chains moving, as the Tigers methodically took the back down the field with small chunks of yardage.
No single play totaled more than 12 yards on Ragsdale’s final possession.
“I knew we were playing horrible, but it’s all about the way you finish,” Shouse said.
All the scoring came after an ugly first half that saw an embarrassment of mistakes from both teams.

East Forsyth and Ragsdale combined to fumble eight times and throw three interceptions before intermission. They had more than 100 yards of penalties in the half, and there were 19 total penalties in the game. Ragsdale committed 13 of those.
Ragsdale coach Tommy Norwood lit into his players in his postgame speech and was clearly unsatisfied at the mental errors his upperclassmen made most of the game.
Heavner was quick to admit the Tigers were sloppy most of the game and deserved the criticism from their coach, but he was a whole lot more happy to come out with a win rather than a loss.
“That’s the thing about being a quarterback, you’ve got to be a leader and be even keeled the whole time,” Heavner said.
The last-second score stunned an East Forsyth squad that had otherwise stymied Heavner all game.
The Eagles went ahead on a Ray McCloud six-yard score with 9 minutes to go in the game, and they had allowed Ragsdale to enter the red zone once.

Nice Article from Jamestown News

2010-10-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2010
by Lenise Willis

Jack King (L), 80, and Alan Johnson, 77, have attended more than 200 Ragsdale football games.

As the air turns crisp and a cooler breeze ripples through one's hair, the changing season brings to mind two things: School is back in session and it's football season. Walking into Kenneth T. Miller Stadium, Ragsdale's home turf, one may notice the familiar constants of the field, scoreboard, blue-and-white decked fans, and even the concession stand. But there's another consistency that may not be as noticeable: longtime friends Jack King and Alan Johnson, ...
who have cheered at every Ragsdale home game for more than 40 years.

"We've known each other a long time and we get along pretty good together," Johnson said. "We've really had some fun going together to the games."

It was about 1965, after a Sunday school class at Jamestown United Methodist Church, when King and Johnson met and found themselves talking about their shared enthusiasm for football.

King and his wife had recently moved to Jamestown and had been attending the football games at the old Jamestown High School, now the Jamestown Public Library. "The football field was back there behind the library," King said. "We just lived two blocks from the school, so we'd walk to the games. They had enough stands for the ladies to sit, and the men walked up and down the sidelines watching the game pretty close."

"I was always interested in football," said King, who was a drummer in the band at High Point High School, now High Point Central.

As a football player for Jamestown High School, Johnson, who graduated in 1951, had a similar deep-rooted love of the game.

Since then, the two have attended every home game and many away games together. There are no rituals and no fuss. "We just get in the car and go," King said. "Ragsdale has been up and down all these years, but we keep right on going. It's become a habit. We look forward to it."

Although both King and Johnson have had children and grandchildren attend Ragsdale, they agree that it made no difference - they attended and still attend the football games for a mere love of the game. "We just enjoy the excitement of the game," King said.

Every Wednesday King and Johnson mow the lawn at JUMC and talk about their plans for the upcoming games. "For the home games I go over early and make sure I save a seat for Alan," King said. "And on the away games, he usually drives his car and we go together."

Johnson and King haven't even let bad weather prevent them from their Friday night ritual. "We've been down east in a sleet storm, and we've been to games when snow was coming down so hard you could hardly see the game," King said.

Johnson added, "One night down in Asheboro we had a really hard rainstorm just before the game started, and Jack and I were all bundled up under umbrellas waiting for the game to start."
To honor their commitment, about 10-15 years ago, the father of one of the players arranged for them to ride to some of the away games on the bus with the players and cheerleaders.

Their most memorable moments rely on the great players who have passed through Ragsdale's hall of fame. Both King and Johnson spoke fondly of watching Ricky "Buck the Truck" Adams and Toney Baker, both of whom were running backs at Ragsdale and later went on to play for N.C. State University.
When asked why they were such devout fans, both King and Johnson downplayed their level of loyalty, saying that their support wasn't anything unusual for Jamestown residents.
"I think there's a lot of people here that have been to all of the home games," Johnson said. "There are many away games we go to where we have more fans there than the home team does. It really is something that James-town people do on Friday nights, I guess."

Article From the Jamestown News and Mike Ellis

2010-09-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ragsdale scored on their first two possessions of the game and continued to utilize the big play to roll over the Parkland Mustangs Friday night as they opened Piedmont Triad 4A conference play with a convincing 47-8 win. Although Parkland had possession of the football for almost twice as long as Ragsdale, they could not convert their drives into points and could not find a way to stop the Tigers. Ragsdale built up a 20-0 halftime advantage, then used an interception return for a touchdown by Avery Washington to start the second half and scored on their only three second-half possessions to dominate the Mustangs...

D-onovan Smith got the start at tailback for the Tigers after missing the last three games because of an injury sustained in the Dudley game. Smith, who returned for his senior season after gaining over 1,400 yards as a junior, showed that he was anxious to get back in action. On the Tigers' first possession, facing a 3rd and 10, Smith went off left tackle for 12 yards and a first down. After picking up another first down with a 13-yard burst, Smith went off the left side, broke a tackle and went 55 yards for the Tigers first score. Brad Davis converted the extra point and with just over two minutes gone, the Tigers had taken a 7-0 lead and Smith had picked up 80 yards in three carries.

XXAfter the Ragsdale defense held Parkland to a three and out on their first possession, Avery Washington returned the punt 13 yards to midfield. A Mustang personal foul penalty tacked on 15 more yards to set up the offense on the Parkland 35 yard line. The Tigers would only need four plays to get into the end zone for the second time. Two Smith carries for 13 yards and a Luke Heavner to Eric Romer pass for four more gave Ragsdale a 1st and 10 at the 18. Barry Brown took the handoff and went right up the middle for the score. Davis sent the kick through the uprights and Ragsdale had gone out to a 14-0 advantage.

XXLate in the half Parkland got down to the Tiger 20 yard line on a 10-play, 65-yard drive, but the drive stalled and a 37-yard field goal attempt was not close. With 4:37 left until halftime, Ragsdale took over on their 20 and started the drive of the night to close out the first half. All three of the Ragsdale tailbacks got a carry on the drive, with Smith, Brown and Marquez Eleazer all picking up yardage. The Tigers converted a big first down on a Heavner-to-Anthony Stewart 26-yard pass before Brown carried the ball on consecutive plays for 12 and 19 yards to the 20 yard line. Three Smith carries moved the ball to the 4 yard line from where Brown went off left tackle for the score. The 11-play drive ate up four minutes and even though the kick failed, Ragsdale had a commanding 20-0 lead as they headed to the locker room.

XXIf there were any thoughts of a Parkland comeback, they were quickly thwarted on the first play of the third quarter. The Mustangs took over at their 32 yard line, and on the first play, quarterback Carlos Gregory attempted to hit his wide receiver, Brandon Dawkins, on the right side, but Ragsdale's Avery Washington stepped in front of the receiver at the 36, picked off the pass and went untouched into the end zone. With only 14 seconds gone in the second half, Ragsdale extended the lead to 27-0 and effectively ended any hope the Mustangs had of getting back into the game.

XXRagsdale would go on to score twice more in the third quarter as Heavner found Pete Romer open over the middle for a 14-yard touchdown and Marquez Eleazer scored on a four-yard dash off right tackle.

XXParkland got their only points of the night on an 80-yard run by Chris Hairston and a two-point conversion pass from Gregory to Hairston. Ragsdale would wrap up the night's scoring on their only possession of the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Garrison Herndon connected with Justin Briley on a 70-yard pass play. Herndon found Briley breaking behind the defense over the middle and delivered a strike that Briley took the distance. Davis booted the point after to post the final score of 47-8.

XXIt was a "workmanlike effort" for the Tigers as they utilized a hard-hitting defense that, except for the one big touchdown play which came after the outcome was decided, limited the Mustangs to short gains and kept them bottled up for most of the night. The leading tacklers for the defense were Trey Swaim, Kris Steele and Caleb Cates who were each credited with seven tackles. Trey Grimes and Chris Baileyburke were in on five tackles each. Washington had the big interception for the touchdown, while Cates and Winston Craig each recorded a sack.

XXThe offense had one of their most efficient nights of the season. They had eight possessions in the game and scored a touchdown on six of them, including all three second-half possessions. D-onovan Smith made the most of his return to action as he gained 165 yards on 14 carries with a 55-yard touchdown gallop. Barry Brown picked up 69 yards and Marquez Eleazer added 48 as the offense piled up 324 yards on the ground. With the ground attack working so effectively, Heavner was not called on to throw the ball, but did hit on 7 of 11 passes for 69 yards with a touchdown to tight end Pete Romer. Herndon completed his one pass attempt for the 70-yard touchdown to Briley.

XXWith the win, Ragsdale improved their overall record to 5-1 on the season and picked up their first win in conference play. They will continue in conference this Friday as they travel to Kernersville to take on the East Forsyth Eagles. The Eagles are 3-3 after suffering a conference defeat last Friday to High Point Central by a 41-21 score.

Parkland 0 0 8 0 8

Ragsdale 14 6 20 7 47

First Downs 16-R 11-P

Rushing Yardage 324-R 180-P

Rushes 30-R 31-P

Passing Yardage 139-R 90-P

Comp-Att-Interception 8-12-1-R 13-25 -1-P

Punts-Avg Yds 1-24.0-R 6-38.7-P

Fumbles-Lost 3-2-R 2-0-P

Penalties-Yds 7-73-R 6-54-P

Time of Possession 16:06-R 31:54-P

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

R-D-onovan Smith 55 yard run (Brad Davis kick) (9:37)

R-Barry Brown 18 yard run (Davis kick) (6:55)

Second Quarter

R-Barry Brown 4 yard run (kick failed) (0:38)

Third Quarter

R-Avery Washington 36 yard interception return (Davis kick) (11:46)

R-Pete Romer 16 yard pass from Luke Heavner (kick failed) (7:14)

P-Chris Hairston 80 yard run (Hairston pass from Carlos Gregory 2 pts) (5:56)

R-Marquez Eleazer 4 yard run (Davis kick) (5:12)

Fourth Quarter

R-Justin Briley 70 yard pass from Garrison Herndon (Davis kick) (8:49)

Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference

(Conf./Overall)

Ragsdale 1-0 5-1

High Point Central 1-0 5-1

Northwest Guilford 1-0 4-2

Southwest Guilford 0-0 3-2

East Forsyth 0-1 3-3

Parkland 0-1 2-4

Glenn 0-1 0-6

Tiger for Life - Neil Jones

2010-09-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

I found this picture of Neil on Facebook. Neil is looking good - trading the Tiger uniform for a military uniform.

Video from Fox 8 Against Person

2010-09-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

Interview with Coach Norwood

2010-09-19T18:20:00.001-07:00

Tiger for Life Tim Romer

2010-09-17T18:04:00.001-07:00

Tim and mom Nancy enjoy watching Pete and Erik play against Person County.

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Article from Roxboro Courier

2010-09-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

By Greg Phipps
C-T Sports Editor
ctsports@roxboro-courier.com
Published: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 5:15 AM CDT
The Person Rockets did well in correcting one problem area last week but another continued to haunt them.

Unlike the loss at George Washington two weeks ago, big plays allowed were not the deciding factor in last Friday’s 14-9 home-opening loss to Halifax at Rocket Stadium.

Overall, the defense played well enough to win but turnovers proved to be Person’s downfall.

Over the past two games, the Rockets have turned the ball over 10 times — six in last week’s game, including two costly mistakes in the red zone, one of those a goal-line fumble — and head coach Lou Geary knows that simply can’t happen when the 1-2 Rockets travel to Jamestown to take on the 4A powerhouse Ragsdale Tigers this Friday night at 7:30.

Subtract the giveaways, and the Rockets, who...
produced over 300 yards of offense (249 through the air) against Halifax, could very well have defeated the Comets by two touchdowns. Quarterback Jonathan Quick had a career high in passing yardage, and Joseph Downey and Tyrone Woods both had over 100 yards receiving.

So protecting the football will be of the utmost importance this week.

“We think our [offensive] scheme is fine. We just need to learn how to carry the ball properly, especially when we’re running in traffic,” said Geary, whose team fumbled it away four times last week. “I think we can learn a lot from the Halifax game even though we lost. The coaching staff is proud of the team for fighting to the very end. We’ve implemented some new drills to help reinforce the importance of protecting the ball.”

Below is an article from the Roxboro Courier on the upcoming game.

Ragsdale, which visited Rocket Stadium and ...beat Person 35-7 a year ago, is coming off a 13-1 season and third-round playoff appearance in 2009. The defending Piedmont Triad Conference champion Tigers are off to a 3-1 start this fall and don’t appear to be any less formidable.

Senior quarterback Luke Heavner has thrown for 605 yards and five touchdowns. He has three receivers with over 100 yards through the air. The Tigers have also amassed 586 yards on the ground, all amounting to 1,191 total yards of offense through their first four contests.

Senior tailback Barry Brown has led the way in the rushing game with 196 yards on 44 carries. The players’ familiarity with the program and the style of play, due in no small part to the long tenure of head coach Tommy Norwood, has had a lot to do with Ragsdale’s success over the years.

Very Cool Photos from Page Game!

2010-09-12T18:19:00.001-07:00

My Thoughts During the Page Game

2010-09-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

0 to 0 - " We are going to kick Page's butt!"

Article Sponsor

13 to 0 - "It's going to be a long night."

13 to 14- "We are going to win baby!"

28 to 14 - "Man was I overly optimistic earlier."

28 to 21 - "We got a chance."

35 to 21 - "No chance."

35 to 28 - "Great but we can't stop Page - Onside kicks seldom work."

35 to 28 - "Are you kidding me" (We recover the onside kick!)

35 to 35 - "Eric Roamer is a STUD!"

35 to 35 - "IS THAT DUNC running toward the Page Goal-line?!!!!!!!

35 to 35 - "Who is Brad Davis?

35 to 38 - "Brad Davis is the man!"

35 to 38 - "I told you we were to kick Page's butt!."

High Lights from News 2

Ragsdale Plays well in Win over WGHS!

2010-09-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

Tyler Flashes the Ragsdale Diamond!

2010-09-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken of Tyler after his first college game this past Saturday. His team the Hampden Sydney Tigers won 45 to 30 against Averett University.

Walt and Billy Back to Back!

2010-09-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Walt and Billy got together after the after the Richmond Spiders and UVA game this past Saturday.

The 2010 Preview Video - 1 Team 1 Mission

2010-09-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

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Kasey and Tyler's College Profile

2010-08-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Biggest Bonehead Play Ever

2010-08-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Here's a clip that I found that's worth watching:

Elliott and Walt's College Profiles

2010-08-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

RHS at Dudley

2010-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Last night the Tigers played with heart and emotion but were unable to control the line of scrimmage. When you lose the battle there you generally lose it on the scoreboard too. That was the case last night. The Tigers lost their first regular season game since 2007 to the Panthers of Dudley 12 to 0.

Sometimes we as fans get spoiled, we expect our Tigers to win every game. Going into last night's game was no exception. But let's be honest with the lost of all the players from last year, the less than stellar performance last week, and facing the Dudley Panthers there was a lot of concern. I felt our team went out there and fought hard. They left it all on the field and gave great effort. I know they are all disappointed in the loss. In fact, I would expect them to be. But they learned that they can play with quality teams. I know they will work hard in practice to get better in all areas of the game. I left the field wishing we had played a better game but encouraged we can make improvements.

One final point - in 09 we beat the Panthers in the regular season and they beat us in the playoffs. It's not that the win didn't matter, it's just that it was not nearly as important as the loss in the playoffs. So our guys need to shake it off, put it behind them and get ready to play Western this week.

GO TIGERS!

www.GreensboroSports.com's Football in Focus

2010-08-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nice Photo of Bill and Luke

2010-08-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this photo of Bill Stone and Luke Sonricker in their Campbell jerseys.

Ragsdale WIns First Game of 2010!

2010-08-21T18:58:00.001-07:00

Here are a few highlights from Friday's game!

Article from the WS Journal

2010-08-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Below is an article from the Winston Salem Journal about the Piedmont Triad Conference.

By Mason Linker

Journal Reporter

Last season, Ragsdale was the best team on paper, and on the field, in the Piedmont Triad 4-A Conference.
The Tigers breezed through the regular season undefeated and won their first 14 games before losing a close rematch to Greensboro Dudley in the quarterfinals of the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs.

The 2010 season looks as if it will be different.

"The reality in our conference, it's not like last year when Ragsdale was head and shoulders above ...
everyone," Coach Scott Schwartzer of Southwest Guilford said. "There's not a dominant team. Anyone can win it, and anyone can finish last." Although Ragsdale is still on the short list of contenders, sharing that spot with High Point Central, there's no shortage of teams that could be factors. Northwest Guilford has a large number of returners, East Forsyth has the makings of another solid team, Glenn has a new head coach and a new offense, and Parkland and Southwest have the athleticism to win any league game.

East Forsyth took a bit of a step back in 2009, after replacing many players from its 2008 Class 4-A quarterfinal team but closed strong, winning its last four regular-season games to make the playoffs. Coach Todd Willert is hoping that momentum will carry over for a team that returns most of its starters on offense, including Erik Smith, a 6-1, 185-pound senior quarterback. "I think even toward the end of the year last year, (Erik) was the reason we went on that wining streak," Willert said. "He really started to understand the position, and he is bigger, stronger and a lot faster."

Willert said that junior Amon Giles provides the speed at running back that East has lacked in recent years and that the defense is younger, but more athletic.

"What we have right now are a lot of good high-school football players, and we are really excited," Willert said. "We want to think we are going to play for the conference title. It would be nice to have us and Glenn come down to the end of the year playing for it. We want to be a contender."

Glenn, under longtime coach Dickie Cline, either ran the I-formation or, more recently, spread offense. But Aldine Payne, Cline's successor, has committed to the Flexbone, a triple-option offense, and has brought on veteran Gary Whitman as his offensive coordinator.

Senior Cameron Campbell (6-2, 195) will be the Bobcats quarterback and should spend a lot of the time trying to get the ball to Josh Hawkins, a 5-11, 175-pound senior and one of the area's top running backs.
"The kids love it, I mean they love it," Payne said of the Flexbone. "And now we have coaches that know the offense and how to make adjustments out of it."

Jay Crump (6-3, 220) is the only returning defensive lineman, but the Bobcats are solid in the secondary, and Payne said he thinks his defense will catch up.

"I think we are going to win every game, but as a coach, you have to think like that," he said. "I would like to see us wind up in first place, but there are some really good teams in our league."

Coach Dee Bell put Parkland back on the map soon after he was hired in 1999, guided the Mustangs to the NCHSAA 3-A title in 2001 and kept his team dangerous for years afterward.

But the Mustangs have been sliding lately, all the way to 2-9 last season. Bell has never been shy about speaking his mind, but his rhetoric is toned down this season, and he expects improvement. "We will win more than two, I will put that in there right now," Bell said with a laugh. "If everything falls into place, I think we will have a pretty good football team. This year, things are a little different, and I think we will be all right."

Chris Hairston, a 6-2, 195-pound senior running back who has committed to East Carolina, is Parkland's marquee player, and Bell has switched from a spread to a one-back offense. Parkland has three returning offensive linemen, including junior Tabias Jones (6-4, 260), who also will start at defensive end. Junior Carlos Gregory (6-2, 200) will play quarterback and provide some physical running.

Parkland needs to see some positive signs early from its front players on a defense that took some poundings last year, but the Mustangs have an experienced secondary paced by safety Douglas Middleton.

Ragsdale is always one of the area's most solid teams, but the program will need to bolster a defense that lost several three-year starters to win the league title again. The Tigers shouldn't have many problems on offense if they can bolster the line -- quarterback Luke Heavner and running back Donovan Smith return.

High Point Central, which had the league's second-best defense last year behind Ragsdale, should lead with its defense again. Jonathan White and Merritt Blanks return at defensive ends, but quarterback Drew Adams (6-1, 170) will need to ignite an offense that struggled against better defenses in 2009.

Southwest Guilford has a dominant athlete -- quarterback Airyn Willis, a 6-2, 180-pounder who has committed to Georgia Tech -- but the question is whether a thin offensive line will be able to protect him and open seams.

"We are pretty deep at skilled positions," Schwartzer said. "But our big concern is depth on the offensive and defensive lines. Airyn is a special athlete, and we are not hiding what we want to do. We will get him the football and get him in space, and he has a chance to have a great year for us."

Coach Joe Woodruff, in his fourth season at Northwest Guilford, has eight starters back on offense and seven back on defense. He also brought up players from an undefeated 2009 junior-varsity team. Northwest, coming off two straight playoff appearances, also can win the conference.

"I dare you to find out the conference favorite," Woodruff said. "That's a decent conference now, and there is obody in that deal we can't beat, and probably every one of those guys can beat us."

Matt Pawlowski is back at quarterback to run a ball-control offense that Woodruff described as "hybrid Wing-T," Dalton Dillon returns at fullback, and Austin Pauley returns at halfback.
Northwest put more emphasis on defense, and Woodruff said that his team will be aggressive. "We don't have Mount Tabor's speed, but we have pretty good speed for Northwest," Woodruff said.
mlinker@wsjournal.com
727-7324

Welcome our New SIte Sponsor - Parisi Speed School!

2010-08-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Please join me in welcoming our new site sponsor Parisi Speed School located at 21-A Oak Branch Dr. Greensboro, NC. Which right across fom Car Maxx behind the bowling alley. Parisi Speed School is recognized as the country's premiere athletic performance enhancement organizations for youth athletics. Using techniques that have produced over 127 NFL draft picks, our specially trained performance coaches deliver a positive training experience that improves speed of movement and strength in character regardless of ability or economic status.

Whether training individual athletes or entire teams, athletes see clear results in performance and self-confidence from our programs. Call us today for more information and a free introductory class.

Former Ragsdale Athletes that have trained with Parisi in Greensboro include - Tyler Ritter, Walt Sparks, Michael Lecomp, Elliott Cobb, Jordon Morris, Chris Armwood, Deonovan Smith, Cedric Ellison, Daniel McNiel. This is a pretty impressive list of athletes - 7 All-conference players and 7 players headed to college to play football. If you are looking for a way to give your son or daughter a competitive edge - call Parisi today - (336) 478-2663!

Below is a video that talks a little more about Parisi Speed School:

Football to Flowers

2010-08-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

My last semester at ASU was actually spent at Southern Guilford High School as a student teacher. The head football coach at Southern at he time was Mickey Atkinson. Coach Atkinson as I came to know him was an excellent football coach, teacher and father. He is now the owner of Sedgefield Florist and Gifts, Inc. off of High Point Rd in the same shopping center as The Box Seat. Ogi Overman has written a very nice story about Coach Atkinson. Please click the read more button to see Ogi's article. If you are in need of flowers for any occassion please call on Sedgefield Florist and Gifts, Inc. You will fine quality products, service and a Ragsdale Football supporter.

July 21, 2010
by Ogi Overman

According to a well-worn adage, once God closes one door he opens another. No one believes in the veracity of that saying more than Mickey Atkinson, owner of Sedgefield Florist. In 1998 he had come to a crossroad in life and began praying for guidance, for open and closed doors. Within a day, the door that had just been shut got replaced with not one but two opportunities.

“My wife, who was working at Sedgefield Florist part-time, said that the owner was thinking about selling it and she wanted to talk about our buying it,” he recalled. “Then, that afternoon, the principal at Asheboro High School called and invited me in for an interview.”

To condense the story, Atkinson still owns the florist and taught at Asheboro until his retirement two years ago.

“God answers prayers,” he said succinctly. And now, at age 54, Atkinson is ready to open another chapter in his book of life by moving the longtime Groometown Road business to 5002-A High Point Rd. in the Hunt Village at Sedgefield shopping center. Moreover, not only is he doubling his square footage and getting a more visible location, he is embarking on, to the best of his knowledge, something that has never been done before. He is making the new Sedgefield Florist into a drive-thru facility. Located in the end unit of the L-shaped center, the 2,400 sq. ft. location seems ideally situated for the venture.

“We had to do some pretty invasive construction to put in the display window as well as the drive-thru window,” he said, “but luckily my brother Chuck, who's doing the work, knows what he's doing. Also, I credit (property owner) George Ragsdale for having the trust in letting this happen. It's a big undertaking and a lot of work.”

Fortunately, Atkinson is no stranger to work. After graduating from Southern Guilford High and Greensboro College, he embarked on a 20-year teaching and coaching career at his alma mater, 10 of those as the head football coach for the Storm (Atkinson's teams were actually called the Indians). After buying the florist he pulled double duty, teaching during the days and managing the store evenings and weekends. He has also been a youth pastor and Sunday school teacher at South Elm Street Baptist Church for most of that span.

In fact, he sees this move as a continuation of his ministry, even using his longtime words to live by - “Love. Forgive. Be a Blessing.” - as part of his new logo.

“One of my former Sunday school students designed it,” he said. “He came up to me and said, ‘Coach, if you think about it, that's what a florist is. You send love to folks, maybe someone needs forgiveness, or you're just trying to make a better day for someone.' I've always used a verse from Colossians on our business cards, ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the Lord, not for men,' so this little saying seems equally appropriate.”

Atkinson has set Monday, July 26, as the official grand re-opening, although he said it would be more of a soft opening.

“It will have to be soft because our inventory is not quite right,” he noted. “We missed out on the July gift shows because of preparing for the move, but once we get all our gift items in, we'll run some serious specials. We have a good line of plush and Teddy bears and an extensive array of house plants, and the day may come where it's an easy transition into offering coffee and wine and chocolates. But let's reinvent this wheel first before we invent another one.”

The florist has always and will continue to be a family enterprise.
“My daughters (Jessica and Jo) are natural designers,” he smiled. “They do some amazing work, and they'll handle sales as well. Helen used to keep the books but she's turned that over to the daughters. And one of God's gifts to me is that I seem to have a knack for being an administrator. So now all Helen will have to do is come in and clean up our messes and gently oversee the operation. I'd been thinking about moving for awhile, and when they all agreed to stay with it, that made the decision a lot easier.”

While Atkinson is delighted with the interior color scheme of red, brown and faux gold the daughters came up with, he gets almost giddy when talking about the 9X6 cooler that will adorn the drive-thru.

“It will have three shelves with buckets of loose flowers, 15 or so pre-made arrangements, and some pre-made bouquets,” he said. “I'm thinking price points of $10, $20, $25 and $30, as well as a dozen roses for $60. All you have to do is pull up, point one out, and be on your way. Of course, we feel we'll get a lot of walk-in traffic too at this location, but the convenience of a drive-thru is unbeatable.”

The easy going, affable Atkinson feels that the timing is right for the venture, even in a down economy and even with the High Point Road widening project set to begin next year.

“I bought Asheboro Florist last year right in the heart of the recession when nobody was spending any money, and it's done OK,” he revealed. “We've already created a niche for ourselves with weddings, which have tripled since I retired from teaching. We used to have a standalone building before the Groometown Road widening forced us to move into the shopping center, so I hope this recaptured visibility for walk-in and the convenience of the drive-thru will create another niche for us. We may get lucky, but we won't really know until we get up and running.”

Chances are, given the florist's established name and good reputation, coupled with the novelty and convenience of a drive-thru, those factors will override the bad economy. But if not, God will simply open another door.
Ogi Overman can be reached at (336) 841-4933 or jtowneditor@northstate.net.

NewBridge Pairings

2010-08-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

The 12th annual NewBridge Bank jamboree will be held Friday, Aug. 13, with the Western Triad Football Scrimmages being held at West Davidson's Glosson Stadium.

Admission is $5 and children under 6 get in free. Gates open at 5 p.m. All proceeds are used to benefit the athletic departments of the participating schools.

"The Jamboree exemplifies NewBridge Bank's long-standing commitment to youth and education," said Robin Hager, Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer at NewBridge Bank. "In the past 11 years, the event has raised and awarded a record $350,000 to our local high schools." Scrimmages start at 6 p.m. with Ledford vs. East Forsyth and Central Davidson vs. Grimsley. At 7 p.m., it's Southern Guilford vs. Lexington and Ragsdale vs. North Davidson. Ledford vs. Grimsley and West Stokes vs. Central Davidson go at 8 p.m. Lexington takes on East Forsyth and Ragsdale faces West Davidson at 9 p.m. Finally, at 10 p.m., North Davidson takes on Southern Guilford and West Stokes plays West Davidson. The same schools' junior varsity teams will have a separate scrimmage at Tyro Middle School. East Davidson and South Davidson are playing in the Eastern Triad Football Scrimmages at Rockingham County High School in Reidsville. The Eagles take on Morehead at 6 p.m. and Rockingham at 8 p.m. South Davidson faces McMichael at 7 p.m. and Rockingham at 9 p.m.

Grad and Dad Trip

2010-08-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Former Ragsdale football players - Jordan Morris, Walt Sparks, Luke Sonricker, Billy Stone and Tyler Ritter, along with their dads took a Grad and Dad trip to the NC mountains. The trip was planned as one last chance to spend time together before the Dads send their boys off to college. The trip included a play - The Horn in the West, whitewater rafting, fishing, a trip to Grandfather Mountain, hanging out and generally having a blast. Please join me in wishing all these young men the best as they each are leaving within the next week or so to join their new football teams.

Jordan Morris - Lenior Rhyne University

Walt Sparks - University of Richmond

Luke Sonricker and Billy Stone - Campbell University
Tyler Ritter - Hampden Sydney College

Things like this are a big part of what being a Ragsdale Tiger is all about. It goes beyond the football field.

Ragsdale and Lee County 7 on 7

2010-07-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to see some photos from the 7 on 7 the other day at Lee County.

7 on 7 Photos

Armwood Shines in All Star Game

2010-07-22T11:10:00.001-07:00

Chris Armwood played a critical role in last night's East West All Star game at Jameson Stadium. Chris made a key block to on a punt return that resulted in a touchdown. Later the East team attempted a fake field goal. The mistake they made was to fake to Chris' side. As the runner tried to find the end zone Chris made one of the biggest hits in the game - crushing the runner as well as any hopes of the East team having any momentum. Be sure to congratulate Chris on his fine play and his representation of Ragsdale.

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Chris Armwood to Represent RHS in East West All Star Game

2010-07-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday night we all will have the great opportunity to watch Chris Armwood play one final high school football game! Please show your Ragsdale pride in coming to the NC East West All-Star football game on Wednesday the 21st!

Wouldn't it be cool to see Chris take it to the house on a kick return like he did last fall against Page. Or take a punt back for a TD like he did against Southern! Let's all be there to cheer him on. Below are a few words from Chris and a sweet TD against Ledford in a scrimage last year.

Daniel "Big D' McNeil to play in East West All Star Game

2010-07-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

I found out last night that Big D was selected and was not able to play in the All-Star game. Be sure to congratulate Daniel on his selection.

Daniel McNeil aka Big D will take his talents to the high school game one last time this Wednesday night at Jameson Stadium in the East West All Star game. Big D was a stud for the 2009 Ragsdale defense that allowed on 104 points in 14 games and a defense that only allowed 17 points in the conference. Big D had 11 sacks in the first 11 games.

He and Chris Armwood (see above) will be great represenatives from Ragsdale. Be sure to attend the game this Wednesday night at Grimsley to support our Tigers!

Editorial from News and Record

2010-07-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

I found this editorial piece in the News and Record. I thought this might mean a few schools will have to do a better job of recruiting in state athletes.

Editorial: Crass and Indefensible

The new state budget signed last week by Gov. Bev. Perdue finally benched a wasteful policy that never should have been: in-state tuition rates for out-of-state athletes.

Here's how it worked: You, the taxpayer, ...
paid the difference in what it costs an out-of-state student to attend a school versus an in-state athlete.
That would have amounted this year to a total of $9.4 million for all UNC system schools and would have saved money, at taxpayer expense, for such well-heeled booster groups as the Wolfpack Club at N.C. State and the Rams Club at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The provision also subsidized scholarships for smaller athletics programs at UNCG ($439,000 for 39 athletes) and N.C. A&T ($94,000 for 10 athletes).
But the bulk of it would have gone to the bigger operations at State ($1.9 million for 153 athletes) and Carolina ($2.4 million for 159 athletes), which also, ironically, are best able to thrive without taxpayer help. (Up-and-comer Appalachian State merits honorable mention since it would have netted $1.1 million this fiscal year for 115 athletes.)
Despite the obvious inappropriateness of it all, Senate lawmakers fended off attempts by state House lawmakers to strip the provision last year and kept the shameful subsidies intact.
This year, with the state facing a budget crisis and a still-woozy economy, the subsidies thankfully bit the dust, no doubt to the chagrin of a few pompom-waving legislators.
Let them write personal checks to their alma maters.
For A&T and UNCG, the elimination of taxpayer aid mean finding that money elsewhere in tight budgets. Schools also will be forced in the future to recruit more in-state talent.
"It's going to be a struggle," Appalachian State Athletics Director Charlie Cobb told the News & Record's Gerald Witt, "there's no question about it."He'll manage. And so will everyone else.
We all want our favorite teams to be winners. But at what cost?
This was a crass and indefensible gambit from the start.

Coach Fox Headed to Rockingham High as AD

2010-07-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Coach Buford Fox. He is leaving the Ragsdale family to join the good folks of Rockingham High School in Wentworth as their new Athletic Director!

Below is the article from GoDanRiver.com

WENTWORTH – When Buford Fox left Rockingham County High School a few years back, he knew somehow he would eventually return. On Wednesday that thought came through as Fox was named the new Athletic Director in Wentworth.

Fox, who has taught at Lincoln Elementary, Leaksville Spray, North Wilkes and Jamestown Ragsdale,...
takes over following the resignation of Jim Wright – who served as the school’s AD the past three years.

“This is a special place for me,” said Fox, whose wife, Andrea attended RCHS. “I wouldn’t leave Ragsdale for just any job. I have a passion for this school and this athletic program and I want people to know that.”

It was that message that is exactly what RCHS Principal Richie Weaver wanted to hear.

“We were looking for someone who was familiar with the school and the community,” said Weaver. “We also wanted someone who was going to be able to work well with different groups.”

Fox, 49, has spent the past seven and a half years in education. Prior to that, he owned a United Van Lines franchise.

Wright announced his resignation on May 25 and Weaver quickly got moving on the process knowing that July 1 would be quickly approaching.

“I knew this was an important decision, but I also knew that after July it really becomes busy for an athletic director,” he said. “There were some excellent candidates, but Buford came out as the unanimous selection.”

Weaver was part of a six-person committee that included Jim Wilson, Tim Eaves, Jennifer Powell, Joan Tatum and Andy Skrobola. Wilson is the Director of Athletic for all of the Rockingham County schools, Eaves recently retired as an assistant principal at RCHS, Powell is a teacher/coach at RCHS, Tatum is an assistant principal at RCHS and Skrobola is a parent, who has children at the school. Weaver added the importance of having a parent like Skrobola, who has a direct interest and concern about the school’s athletic program.

“Recently there has been a disconnection within the athletic department and we wanted to bring the community back and make them feel wanted,” said Weaver.

Fox was one of 25 people who expressed interest in the position and nine were interview by the committee.

Weaver added the final decision was made on Monday, but it needed School Board approval and that occurred on Wednesday morning.

Fox was quickly on the job on Thursday and preparing for the upcoming school year.

“The jamboree will be here soon and there are so many other things that need to be done,” said Fox, who coached football for one season at RCHS under current head coach Lin Stadler.

Fox worked with former RCHS athletic director Sam Jones, who retired in the summer of 2007.

“I want to be here for the coaches and the students,” said Fox. “That’s one of the things I always admired about Sam Jones. He always looked out for the athletic program and he had a passion for Rockingham. So do I.”

Fox’s biggest hurdle will be the upcoming NewBridge Bank Football Jamboree, which is scheduled for Aug. 13 at RCHS.

Rockingham is also looking for a varsity volleyball coach and a junior varsity baseball coach. The school recently announced the hiring of Adam Lindsay, a former Reidsville High School runner, who will be coaching boys’ cross country in Wentworth.

For the volleyball program, it will be the fifth coach in five seasons at RCHS.

First, Fox said he will meet with coaches both as a group and individually once he can get acclimated with the job.

“The potential is here for Rockingham to be the benchmark for athletics,” he added. “It is very important, but we’re also walking kids across the stage for graduation too.”

Fox has four children Amber, 25, Zachary, 18, Mallory, who will be a junior at Morehead High School this year and Brock, who will be an eighth-grader this year.

Graduation 2010 Video

2010-07-01T15:15:00.003-07:00

Anyone Know Where the Team is Going to Practice?

2010-06-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Project Costs Halt Ragsdale High Project

By J. Brian Ewing News and Record

JAMESTOWN -- Renovations and remodeling of Ragsdale High are literally back at the drawing board because of unforeseen cost overruns. Bids for the renovation project came in about $5 million over the $30 million officials estimated for the project.

The school district is now in talks with the designer and construction management firm to review the plans for possible cost cutting changes. There has been no official word how long the revisions might set construction and opening back.

The school district will hold an information meeting for residents on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Ragsdale auditorium.

DeSean Drafted by Boston!

2010-06-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

DeSean Anderson was drafted tonight by the Boston Red Sox in the 30th round on the Major League Baseball draft. DeSean was the Conference Offensive Player of the Year in football last year. As a senior in baseball DeSean hit .459 with two homeruns and 16 RBIs.

DeSean we are very proud of you!

On the right is my favorite Ragsdale football picture of all time - DeSean breaking thru the banner against Page last September. I think the Pirates watched him jump through the banner and quit right then and there. Below is the segment from Fox 8 WGHP on DeSean Anderson. There is some nice football footage of Desean in there too!

Spring Football Interview with RHS QB Luke Heavner

2010-06-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today www.RHSTigersForLife.com had an opportunity to speak with Luke Heavner. Luke is a returning all-conference and all-area quarterback for the Tigers. I asked Luke about his training in the off-season watch the video to see what he had to say -

The biggest question about this year's Ragsdale Tigers is of course how they will deal with the loss of 25 seniors. Luke does not question the significance of the losses but has confident in the the fact the Tigers return several great players on offense. Watch the video to see his comments -

William Powell Certified Personal Trainer

2010-06-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am glad to introduce you to William Powell. William is currently training Tyler Ritter, Trey Swaim and Walt Sparks. He has also trained other fine Ragsdale athletes - Kyle Bandenburg, Brandon Phleps and 4 time NC State Wrestling champion Jacob Creed.

William uses innovative methods to get the most from the athletes he trains. If you are looking for a knowlegable personal trainer for your son or daughter give William a call.

Read more about William on his website http://www.nogearfitness.com/

NCHSAA Adopts Pod System for Football Playoffs

2010-06-11T18:45:00.001-07:00

Below is the latest attempt from the folks at the NCHSAA to make our playoff experience more enjoyable. It will in my opinion create early round match-ups that are not fair to the teams playing. Maybe the NCHSAA could have addressed the issue of playable fields in the month of December. Either that or basic fairness in home field advantage - like when one team defeats the other in the regular season and has the same or better record, they get to play the home game. Oh well...

Friday, June 11, 2010

By News & Observer of Raleigh

RALEIGH (MCT) — The already complicated N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoff system got a little more complex this week when a group of high school football coaches and NCHSAA staff developed a method to implement the 256-team football playoffs using a pod system.
Qualifying teams will be ...
placed in eight brackets, split into East and West regions and then into West, Midwest, Mideast and East pods.
The change is being made to cut costs. In recent years, some teams at the extreme ends of the state have played each other in the early rounds of the playoffs. The pod system is expected to reduce costs in each bracket.
The seeding process and bracketing has several steps:
Teams will qualify just as they have in the past.
The first, second and third finishers in most conferences will advance, along with enough other teams, selected based on overall records, to fill the 64-team bracket in each classification.
Qualifying teams will be arranged within a class based on enrollment. The 64 qualifying 4-A schools, for example, will be listed by enrollment. The largest 16 qualifying schools will be assigned to the big school, or AA bracket, and the 16 smaller schools will go the to A, or smaller school, bracket. The small process will be done in each classification.
The 32-teams in the AA playoff classification will be divided into East and West regions based on geography.
The 16 teams in each region will be seeded according to conference finish (no conference champion can be ranked below a No. 2 finisher) and overall records. An undefeated league champion will be ranked ahead of a league champ with a loss, for example.
After the teams are seeded by region, they will be placed in one of the four pods based on geography. The top three or more seeds from a region could be in the same pod. The No. 4 seed in the East region, for example, could be the No. 1 seed in the Mideast pod.
Teams will be seeded in their pod, based on their initial seeding in the region. The pod seeding determines the pairings for the first three rounds. The regional final will be played at the site of highest surviving seed from the regional seeding.
Ten head football coaches, representing each classification and region of the state, worked with the NCHSAA staff to develop the procedure.
“We tried to think of all the possibilities,” said Que Tucker, the deputy NCHSAA commissioner. “It is an involved process, but you just take it step by step.”

TD Toney Baker is now a Bronco!

2010-06-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

Toney Baker (5-foot-10, 225 pounds) is a rookie running back from North Carolina State University has joined the Broncos as a college free agent on April 26, 2010.

Toney played football at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, N.C (class of 2005) where he earned consensus All-America honors. He finished his career with the third-most rushing yards (10,231) in national high school history along with 161 touchdowns. Here is the link to download a .pdf of the National HS Football Records - Link

Toney played 38 career games at N.C. State from 2005-09, totaling 451 rushes for 2,045 yards (4.5 avg.) with 17 touchdowns along with 65 receptions for 676 yards (10.4 avg.) with four scores… Finished his collegiate career ranked 11th in school history in both rushing yards (2,045) and rushing touchdowns (17)… Ranked sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing (64.4 ypg.) and ninth in all-purpose yards (94.0 per game) in 2009, totaling 160 rushes for 773 yards with six touchdowns and 28 catches for 355 yards with three scores.

He also received the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award in 2009 as the conference's most courageous player after recovering from a right knee injury that forced him to miss nearly the entire two previous seasons. Toney entered his junior campaign in 2007 on the Doak Walker Award (nation's best running back) watch list before suffering the knee injury in the season opener against the University of Central Florida. He majored in parks, recreation and tourism at N.C. State. Toney was born on June 16, 1986.

Brandon Drumgoole Drafted 44th Overall in UFL Draft

2010-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

Former Ragsdale High School student and football player Brandon Drumgoole (class of 2004) was drafted by the Hartford Colonials of the the United Football League. Brandon played football in college for Wake Forest, Western Carolina and Greensboro College. While at Ragsdale High School Brandon was first team all state. He played DE and tight end on offense and was listed as the nation's 70th-best defensive end by The Insiders.com. He was selected to the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl as well as being tabbed first team 3A All-State by NCPreps.com . Had 72 tackles, six for losses, four caused fumbles, a fumble recovery and six sacks as a junior .

Below is the press release from the Greensboro College website:

Brandon Drumgoole, a member of the 2009 Greensboro College football team, was drafted by the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. Drumgoole was the 44th pick ...
and taken in the ninth round of Wednesday's draft. He is one of just two NCAA D III players selected in the draft. Drumgoole is also the first Pride football player to be selected in any pro football draft.

A defensive lineman, Drumgoole led the team with 16 tackles for losses and six sacks.He was picked to the USA South second team and later played in the inaugural D3 Senior Classic All Star game last December.
Prior to arriving at GC, the 6-6, 260-pound student-athlete attended Wake Forest and Western Carolina Universities.

"This is a great honor for Brandon and we're proud of him," said GC Head Coach Dr. Randy Hunt. "The UFL is perhaps the World's second best football league behind the NFL. Brandon has a pro body and we look forward to following his career."

Way to go Jordan!

2010-06-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

The following article appeared in the Jamestown News Wednesday June 2, 2010. Ogi does a great job of covering all of Ragsdale's athletic teams. When you see him be sure to tell him thanks!

Morris inks with Lenoir-Rhyne

by Ogi Overman

The Morris family were all on hand Wednesday to watch Jordan sign a letter of intent to Lenoir-Rhyne College. They are (L-R): dad Bill, mom Ronda, Jordan, older brother Matt and younger sister Jenna.

For a football team that had already seen eight of its seniors earn college scholarships, plus two more who opted for collegiate baseball scholarships, Jordan Morris was the icing on the cake. Last Wednesday Ragsdale High School held one more signing day so that the 265-pound offensive lineman could ink an academic scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne College. Being a Division III school, it is

prohibited from granting athletic scholarships, which suited Morris just fine, given that he will graduate with a 3.32 gpa and made 1660 on the SAT.

Morris already has his career goals in focus, setting his sights on a double major in sports management and pre-law."I think that would give me the basis for becoming a sports agent," he said. "But I'd also love to go into coaching. Either way I'd be giving something back by sharing my experience with the younger generation."

Still, as gifted academically as he is, Morris was not nearly ready to hang up the cleats after a sterling prep career. "I just really had the desire to play college football and just really went after it," he explained. "I talked to the coach and expressed a desire to play for Lenoir-Rhyne. I followed through on that and kept pursuing it. And he returned the favor and asked if I'd like to play for them. So it all worked out."

Another benefit of playing for a Division III school is that Morris will be able to play two sports. He was Ragsdale's shot put champ on the track team and intends to join the Bears track team as well. "They've already told me I was going to redshirt (in football) my freshman year, but I'll be on the track team as a freshman," he said. "Quite a few of the football players there do that, so I expect to be able to do both."

Morris accepted two scholarships totaling $82,400 to Lenoir-Rhyne, turning down a $36,400 grant from Liberty University and a $34,000 offer from Carson Newman.

Said a proud Ragsdale head football coach Tommy Norwood, "What's so good about this class is that five of these kids earned academic scholarships. Out of 25 seniors, almost half of them are going on to play college ball. That's the highest number we've ever had here,” adding, "We've already heard from 30 colleges about next year's group. But this one is special, really special."

Ogi Overman can be reached at (336) 841-4933 or jtowneditor@northstate.net.

From the Jamestown News

2010-04-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

From the Jamestown News!

Five more Ragsdale student-athletes bound for college

by Ogi Overman

April 21, 2010 - Tommy Norwood was not the only person in attendance at last Thursday's signing ceremony in the Ragsdale media room with a wistful look in his eye. The much-loved football coach was sending four more of his charges onto college, bringing the total to eight - and that's not counting all-purpose star DeSean Anderson, who has signed to play baseball at the University of South Carolina instead. He could be forgiven if he was wondering if a single class with this much talent would pass this way again anytime soon.
Baseball coach Donnie Maness was there too. After bidding adieu to Division I signees Anderson and Ben Fultz (East Carolina) earlier, he was watching shortstop Mike Whited ink his letter of intent to Catawba College.
But there was also a parent in the room, Dave Ritter, who had as much of a vested interest in these youngsters as anyone. Not only was his son Tyler heading off to Hampden-Sydney, but he had coached all these kids in the youth league program and later had set up a blog to document their progress through the ranks and another to help his son gain a scholarship.
Parents, older and younger siblings, head coaches and assistant coaches, administrators, friends and media members all came together for the occasion. Perhaps it marked the end of an era, but surely it represented the passing of some talented young athletes from one level to another.
The afternoon was made even more special by the fact that these young men were in every respect student-athletes who excel as much in the classroom as the athletic fields. Academic scholarships were as much in evidence as athletic.
Tyler Ritter, for instance, earned the Presidential Scholarship to Division III Hampden-Sydney, worth $15,000 a year, plus another $2,000 annual scholarship on top of a $20,000 interest-free loan.
"We looked at a lot of schools," he said. "Academics was the first priority - they're ranked No. 7 in the state of Virginia academically - and the fact that they are Division III meant I may get a better shot at playing pretty quickly."
The 255-pound offensive guard said he will probably major in business with an eye toward the possibility of law school.
Center Elliott Cobb also signed an academic scholarship with a highly regarded Virginia school, Washington & Lee. Norwood cited his progress from a benchwarmer as a freshman to a valuable starter by his senior year as a testament to his work ethic and love for the game.
"Yeah, I probably played 20 downs the whole year as a freshman," he smiled, "but I really had a love for the game and just kept working at it."
Cobb is leaning toward a major in economics, but with W&L's acclaimed schools of commerce, political science and law, will not decide immediately.
One day last season a coach from Campbell University visited Ragsdale, pulling linebacker Billy Stone and wide receiver Luke Sonricker out of weighlifting class for an offer they couldn't refuse. Stone decided fairly quickly to cast his lot with the Camels, with childhood buddy Sonricker following suit a few months later.
"I didn't decide to even try to play in college until I broke my arm in October," said the 6-3 Sonricker. "I was pretty upset; I didn't want to go out like that. I finally decided that Campbell was the right choice."
He is also an all-conference lacrosse player and contributed valuable minutes to the Tigers basketball team this season.
Stone, at 195 and considered pound-for-pound one of the toughest linebackers in the state, was half of the duo with Walt Sparks, another childhood friend since youth league.
"We knew what each other was going to do before he did it," Stone said during the season. "That's one reason we were so effective; we knew who was going to play up and who was going to drop back without even looking at each other."
Campbell only started its program three years ago and is on the upswing. "Academically and athletically they're on the rise," said Stone. "This is a good fit. Right now I'm projected as a linebacker but with my speed I may end up as a safety."
Stone, also the ace of the Ragsdale pitching staff, plans to major in business and minor in sports management.
Last summer Mike Whited was playing for the Hi-Toms American Legion team when a friend of his coach asked to see him hit and take some ground balls. Turns out the friend was the coach at Catawba and, after seeing Whited in action, invited him to come to Salisbury for an official visit. He wound up taking a half and half academic and athletic scholarship.
Being the younger brother of a college catcher at UNC Asheville, Whited said his sights have always been on playing in college.
"As a kid I always figured I'd have the opportunity to play in college," he said. "I was a second baseman until my sophomore year, when Coach Maness asked me to try playing shortstop. I plan to try and win that position at Campbell, but I've got a feeling second base might be my calling there."
Whited plans to major in biology with his eventual goal being pre-med.
As was said earlier, these college-bound seniors are scholar-athletes in every sense of the word.

(top left)Tyler Ritter gives parents David and Marla an embrace. (top right)Parents Kay and Jim Cobb surround son Elliott. (middle left)Billy Stone is flanked by his younger sister Brittany (L) and mom Melanie. Father Gary was out of town on business. (middle right)Luke Sonricker hugs his mom Lisa. Dad Tom was unable to attend. (bottom)The Whited family is (L-R) dad Guy, older brother C.J., Mike, and mom Mora.

Ragsdale Signings!

2010-04-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

Below is the article written by the News and Record on yesterday's college signings. There were a couple of mistakes. Cedric is going to Wingate College not Howard and Kasey is headed to Wofford not Elon.

Ragsdale Signings Come in Bunches
Friday, April 16, 2010 (Updated 7:12 am)
By Tom Keller
Staff Writer

JAMESTOWN — Billy Stone and Luke Sonricker made a promise to each other in fifth grade, as much as any 10-year-olds can mortgage their future.

One day, they said, we're going to play college football together.

That dream and a few others came true Thursday, as Stone and Sonricker signed letters of intent with Campbell to cap off a year in which eight Ragsdale football players earned chances to play at the next level.

"It's so weird to think we grew up playing together in the (Jamestown Youth League) and now we're all going to keep playing, which is pretty cool," Stone said. "It means so much more now."

Also signing Thursday were Elliott Cobb, a center who will play at Washington & Lee, and Tyler Ritter, an offensive guard who will attend Hampden-Sydney.

They join early signers Walt Sparks (Richmond), Daniel McNeil (N.C. A&T), Kasey Redfern (Elon) and Cedric Ellison (Howard) to give Ragsdale the most college-bound players head coach Tommy Norwood has ever had in one class.

"It was fun to practice with them every day," Norwood said. "You knew you were going to get a great attitude every day."

Stone, a linebacker who made 113 tackles this season, was a three-year starter alongside Sparks, Ellison and McNeil, a group that went 35-5 and won three conference titles. Cobb, Ritter, Sonricker and McNeil were two-year starters who went 26-2.

Ritter got used to the success. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder said interest in him was nonexistent before his dad helped him set up a profile on www.berecruited.com. (See Tyler and Elliott Profile by clicking on their photos to the left of this article) He wound up hearing from 27 schools and travelling to seven states before settling on Hampden-Sydney, which went 10-1 and won the ODAC title.

He describes his immediate role there as "not a tackling dummy."

Sonricker, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver, broke his arm in October but defied the prognosis to make it back for Ragsdale's third-round playoff exit against Dudley. A big play threat, he caught 22 passes for 469 yards, a team-high 21.3 yard average and five touchdowns.

Cobb, a lean 6-foot, 220-pounder, said he's known many of this group since elementary school. It'll be fun to watch them all in their corners of the football universe this fall, but it won't be the same.

"I wish I could just strap them up one more time," Cobb said. "We all just knew each other so well."

BASEBALL: Ragsdale infielder Mike Whited also signed a letter of intent with Catawba College on Thursday, capitalizing on interest he gained while playing for the Thomasville Junior HiToms last summer. Whited plays shortstop for Ragsdale but could start at second or third base next year for the Indians, who are 32-8 and in third place in the South Atlantic Conference.

"There's nothing better than being part of a winning team," Whited said.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com

Piedmont Lineman Camp!

2010-04-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Piedmont Lineman Camp

When: Saturday April 17th, 2010

Intended Participants: The Piedmont Lineman Camp is designed for lineman in 7th through 12th grades.

Registration: 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 A.M. Brochures include enrollment, waivers and releases and are available through contact information listed below.
Camp will conclude around 3:00 P.M.

Program Administration: Administrative details will be handled by Jimmy Jiles, Camp Director:
• Contact Information
o Work number (336) 819-2967
o Email address jilesj@gcsnc.com

Costs: $40.00 This includes instruction, lunch, and a camp T-shirt. Payment is due upon receipt of application.
• Cash or Checks payment is due along with application
• Make Checks payable to Ragsdale High School
• Complete applications along with payment and send to

Ragsdale High School
602 High Point Road
Jamestown, NC 27282
Staff:
• Lewis Walker Ragsdale High School
• Paul Hoggard Richmond County High School
• Steve Bare Glenn High School
• John Kirby Eastern Alamance High School
• Scott Loosemore Eastern Guilford High School
• Kevin Gillespie Greensboro Page High School
• Hal Capps Western Alamance High School
• Mark Pitts Southern Alamance High School
• Chris Deal Patton High School
• Tom Harper Alexander Central High School

All Conference Team Announced

2009-12-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

Below are the players that were honored with an All-Conference selection. Congratulations to the boys and to Coach Norwood!

Football:
Desean Anderson WR
Chris Armwood DB
Elliiott Cobb C
Cedric Ellison DT
Luke Heavner QB
Daniel McNeil DE
Darius McQueen S
Kasey Redfern K/P
Tyler Ritter G
Donovan Smith RB
Walt Sparks LB
Billy Stone LB
Offensive player of the year: Desean Anderson (Ragsdale).
Coach of the year: Tommy Norwood (Ragsdale).

2009-11-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article on Neil from the News and Record.

Neil Jones: A brick wall with a blue collar
Friday, November 27, 2009

By Tom Keller
Staff Writer

[Image accompanying article]
Nelson Kepley

Photo Caption: Ragsdale High School's Neil Jones.

JAMESTOWN -- Ragsdale defensive lineman Neil Jones talks about protecting his linebackers the way an offensive lineman talks about protecting his quarterback, a comparison he probably wouldn't like hearing because he credits the extensive rips in his practice jersey to "offensive linemen holding all the time."

Jones is Ragsdale's 12th leading tackler, but there may not be a more integral part of the Tigers' airtight defense than this lane-opening nose guard who clears the way for his teammates like a defensive fullback.

"It doesn't really matter to me if people can see what I do," Jones said. "I do what I have to do to get a win."

A 5-foot-10, 250-pounder, Jones is one of six third-year starters on the Ragsdale defense and, like many of them, he relies on brains where brawn can't take him. The Tigers, far from the most athletic team in the field, are allowing a classification-best seven points per game, and they held Dudley to its lowest scoring output of the season in an 18-8 win Aug. 28.

Jones didn't record a tackle that night, but linebackers Walt Sparks and Billy Stone combined for 15. Jones has 22 tackles for the year; Stone and Sparks combined for 20 last week alone. That's all by design.

"I make the play without making the play," Jones said. "I take all the blows so they can run around."

"Kids listen to and respect him because of how hard he works all the time," Ragsdale head coach Tommy Norwood said. "He just kind of represents what I think our football program represents -- blue collar, bring your lunchbox and hard hat and go to work every week."

The irony, of course, is that despite that earlier victory over the Panthers, Ragsdale will be the road team tonight after the NCHSAA dropped an endowment game from each team's record and Dudley won a coin flip. Norwood said he hasn't discussed it with his team all week.

"We play where we've got to play," he said. "All we do is control the things we can control. We can't control things outside of us."

If you can't be in attendance tonight, stop by Zeko's Restaurant on High Point Road around 11 o'clock and you'll know immediately how it went.

It's owned by Jones' mom and stepdad, Lovie and Koory Abdelaal, and Jones spends most of his summers working there as a waiter, cook, delivery driver -- "whatever I need to do," he said.

On most Friday nights, the eatery becomes Ragsdale's after party spillover, with as many as 50 players watching the highlight reel, devouring whatever's put in front of them and hoping their number gets pulled from a hat for a free meal. The place closes at midnight, "but we're always there until 12:30 or 1 just goofing around," Jones said.

The lone exception the last two seasons came after the third round of the 2008 playoffs, when Ragsdale's perfect season came crashing to the ground with a 26-10 loss to the eventual state champion Panthers. A handful of players showed up to the restaurant afterward but sat in silence with shrunken appetites, a feeling Jones and his teammates have been working all season to avoid.

Play-off Article

2009-11-24T03:41:00.000-08:00

I found this articl on lin this morning in the High Point Enterprise.

Tigers set for playoff quest
by Steve Hanf

The win was not dramatic on this night, the achievement not unusual for this group, the final goal not reached this season.

As such, Ragsdale’s postgame gathering Friday night at Simeon Stadium was buoyant rather than brash, eager more than exhilarated.

“What lies ahead is a whole lot bigger than what’s behind us,” coach Tommy Norwood told his players. “Let’s do it.”

The Tigers spent the past 12 weeks proving that little has changed over the past few years. The dominant group won its third straight conference championship – the second time Ragsdale managed that feat in Norwood’s 12 years – and remained unbeaten in league play all three years.

Friday’s 34-7 dismantling of High Point Central, which came one week after knocking off top challenger Glenn in a 23-10 decision, capped an 11-0 season for the Piedmont Triad 4A Conference champions. The Tigers did the same thing last year in the Mid-Piedmont 3A.

And now?

Onward and upward.

“We’ve got 24 seniors, half of them who played varsity as freshmen and sophomores, and we know what it feels like to get upset in the first round against Parkland and lose to a team like Dudley that won it (last year),” said senior receiver DeSean Anderson. “All that hurt and pain, we’ve already come through that and we’re going to use that will to try to win the states this year.”

In the 2007 season, a number of talented sophomores such as Walt Sparks, Billy Stone, Cedric Ellison, Neil Jones and Daniel McNeil helped Ragsdale go 9-2 in the regular season before a stunning playoff exit: 28-24 to No. 14 seed Parkland in the first round.

More experience led to more success last fall, with the Tigers cruising to a 13-0 start before visiting Dudley in the third round of the 3AA playoffs. The Panthers pulled away from a 14-10 halftime lead to win 26-10 on their way to a perfect season.

This year’s squad got started with the standard summer workouts, those two dozen seniors leading the way. The remarkable defense sparkled, allowing an average of 6.1 points per game and limiting every foe but one – Page – to a single TD or less with four shutouts.

The offense, meanwhile, averaged 32.1 points per game with pinpoint passing from Luke Heavner, powerful running from D-onovan Smith and big-play ability from Anderson, all of it coming about thanks to an offensive line anchored by three seniors in Elliott Cobb, Jordan Morris and Tyler Ritter.

“They’ve come on,” Norwood said of a line that helped the Tigers rush for 195 yards and throw for another 117 on just 10 attempts against a strong Bison defense. “They ain’t real big, they ain’t real impressive. They just play hard.”

Just like everybody else on the team. With memories of disappointment pushing them, the Tigers open the 4A playoffs at home this Friday against Watauga. Despite the perfect record, Ragsdale was relegated to a No. 3 seed in the 4A West bracket behind R.J. Reynolds (No. 1) and Dudley (No. 2).

That, despite the fact Ragsdale handled Dudley 18-8 the second week of the season. Officials with the N.C. High School Athletic Association seed the playoffs based on 10-game records, however, making all three teams 10-0, and unless all three had played each other, a blind drawing is used.

In this case, Ragsdale drew the short straw – but as any coach worth his salt would proudly say, the Tigers will have to play them all eventually to reach the championship game at Carter-Finley Stadium on Dec. 12.

“They’ll be focused and ready to go. They’ll play one week at a time. That’s just who they are, the way they do things,” Norwood offered. “When you’re always good on defense, you’ve always got a chance, and we’re good in the kicking game as well. All of that means you’ve got a chance every Friday.”

All signs point to a third-round rematch: No. 3 Ragsdale at No. 2 Dudley on Nov. 27, with the likes of R.J. Reynolds, Asheville Reynolds or Alexander Central looming in the top half of the bracket for the regional championship.

What lies ahead certainly seems exciting.

“We kind of remember the Dudley loss, we remember how bad that was,” Sparks said. “We kind of expect to do it all this year. We’re a senior team, we’ve got a whole lot of leadership. There’s really no excuse why we shouldn’t do it.”

Sun Valley at Ragsdale

2009-11-21T05:40:00.001-08:00

Photo by www.Lpphotos.com

This game was a lot more exciting than I wanted. Once again the offense got off the a slow start. Our defense which typically bails us out until we get the O running also sputtered - allowing 17 points in the first half. Our kids played with heart and desire. The boys came out in the 2nd half and started playing the type of football we were accustomed to seeing from them. Below is the article from the High Point Enterprise.

Ragsdale rallies past Sun Valley

by Jason Queen, Special to the Enterprise

JAMESTOWN – Tyquan Roberts usually helps Ragsdale’s passing game with his size, hands and feet.

Friday night, it was his arm that made the difference.

Roberts completed a 19-yard pass to JV call-up Justin Briley on third-and-8 to set up a go-ahead touchdown midway through the third quarter, and D-onovan Smith tacked on two touchdown runs to help the Tigers rally past a game Sun Valley squad 33-24 in the second round of the 4A West playoffs.

The 13-0 Tigers, the No. 3 seed in the West, will travel to No. 2 Dudley (12-1) next week.

With Ragsdale trailing 17-14 midway through the third, the Tigers faced third-and-long from the Spartans’ 20. Roberts took a lateral from quarterback Luke Heavner, then threw a strike to Briley for a huge first down. Smith scored on the next play, and Sun Valley never recovered.

When coach Tommy Norwood called the play during the timeout, Roberts had no question about his ability. “In practice I try to show off how far I can throw and my accuracy,” Roberts beamed. “It was good to help the team out, and I’m just overwhelmed right now.”

Smith capped a two-play, 54-yard scoring drive on the Tigers’ next possession with a 25-yard run, and Heavner hooked up with DeSean Anderson for a 5-yard touchdown pass with two minutes left for the final margin.

Smith finished with 107 yards on 22 carries, while Heavner threw for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Roberts had three catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Sun Valley (9-4) countered with a potent passing attack, as sophomore Ryan Smith was 20-of-29 through the air for 214 yards and three scores.

Heavner’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Roberts was the only score of the first quarter. Avery Washington returned an interception of a tipped pass down to the Spartans’ 10, setting up Heavner’s 10-yard strike to Anderson two plays later to make it 13-0 midway through the second.

Sun Valley finally got its offense going on the ensuing drive. Jadarrius Williams ripped off two nice runs, then Ryan Smith hooked up with Andre McManus for a 32-yard score to cut the Tigers’ lead to 13-7.

After stuffing Ragsdale on its next drive, the Spartans went to work again. The Tigers’ second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the half gave Sun Valley a first down in Ragsdale territory, then Smith hit Dustin Cook in the corner of the end zone with a perfect 27-yard pass, and Cameron Havey’s PAT gave the visitors a 14-13 lead with 4:32 left in the second quarter.

Ragsdale tried to get something going late in the half, but a fumble gave the Spartans the ball back deep in Tiger territory. Moments later, Havey boomed a 38-yard field goal to send the Spartans into the locker room with a 17-13 lead.

Scoring summary

Sun Valley 0 17 0 7 — 24

Ragsdale 6 7 14 6 — 33

R – Roberts 48 pass from Heavner (pass failed) 6:23, 1st

R – Anderson 10 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick) 8:19, 2nd

SV – McManus 32 pass from Smith (Havey kick) 6:31, 2nd

SV – Cook 27 pass from Smith (Havey kick) 4:32, 2nd

SV – Havey 38 FG 0:00, 2nd

R – Smith 1 run (Redfern kick) 3:40, 3rd

R – Smith 25 run (Redfern kick) 1:59, 3rd

SV – Cook 17 pass from Smith (Havey kick) 11:17, 4th

R – Anderson 5 pass from Heavner (conversion failed) 1:55, 4th.

A Little Love for a Few of Our Boys.

2009-11-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

www.GreensboroSports.com posted the following article. They mention a few of our boys as top players. Personally - I feel they missed several - Daniel McNeil, Darius McQueen, and Chris Armwood to mention a few. At any rate, it is nice anytime you see your name "up in lights". Below is the article. Enjoy.

Looking for the County’s Top Eleven Players
By Andy | November 17, 2009
This time of year we like to begin to narrow down our choices and pinpoint a Top 11 Players in Guilford County.. It is tough to do, but it gives all of us a chance to take a look at the Top Eleven….

We are looking for the Top Eleven players from Guilford County and we start to break this down and see if we can set or limit this squad to just 11 players and then we will have to put out another unit with the next 11 players….

Here’s a look at 11 and who knows if they are the Top 11, but the first three are pretty well set…

1) Keenan Allen-Northern Guilford
2) David Amerson-Dudley
3) Josh Morehead-Eastern Guilford
4) John Spain-Page
5) Major Bryant-Dudley
6) Walt Sparks-Ragsdale
7) Billy Stone-Ragsdale
8 Maurice Harris-Northern Guilford
9) Jimmy Moorman-High Point Central
10) Aaron Jones-Western Guilford
11) Quan Stevenson-High Point Andrews

Is this “The Top Eleven”??????
We might have to add or replace some of the above players with some of these:
1) JR Peterson-Dudley
2) Darius White-Northeast Guilford
3) Warren Scott-Southern Guilford
4) Luke Heavner-Ragsdale
5) Kasey Redfern-Ragsdale
6) Jabri Ridenhour-Western Guilford
7) DeSean Anderson-Ragsdale
8 Steven McCain-Dudley
9) Rocco Scarfone-Northern Guilford
10) Akeem Langham-High Point Central
11) Tyler Ritter-Ragsdale

1) Michael Sanders-Northeast Guilford
2) Daniel Boatang-Smith
3) Will Foxx-Page
3) Demarcus Bell-Dudley
4) Josh Thompson-Western Guilford
5) James Summers-Page
6) Matt Pawlowski-Northwest Guilford
7) Trey Ingram-Northeast Guilford
8 Derek Grant-High Point Central
9) Andre Oliver-Grimsley
10) DJ Petress-Southeast Guilford
11) Derek Holbrook-Eastern Guilford

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 1:10 pm and is filed under High School. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Don Williams Photo Website

2009-11-17T03:02:00.000-08:00

Don't forget each week to check out Don Williams' website. He has great photos of the kids in action. http://lpphotos.com/RagsdaleHighSchoolFootball.aspx

Here's an eaxample -

Nice Article on Kasey

2009-11-17T02:35:00.000-08:00

I found this article as I was looking around on the Internet. It is from the High Point Enterprise

Photo by Don Williams - www.LpPhotos.com

Where (the) Redfern goes?

by Steve Hanf1

Kasey Redfern grinned and nodded to the affirmative:

Was he trying to “make” a field goal on Friday night’s kickoff after a penalty moved the ball a mere 55 yards from the goal posts?

“It curved a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “I like just kicking the ball as hard as I can. I try to aim for the post sometimes, make a field goal.”

The Ragsdale senior went wide left on his attempt at a little fun, but that kick – and every one of his efforts from the 40-yard line – went deep into the end zone for touchbacks. His 8-0 Tigers score a lot, which in turn keeps Redfern kicking a lot. But so far this season, 50 kickoffs have resulted in 39 touchbacks.

In other words, the opposition has faced an 80-yard trek to the end zone 39 times. That helps explain why Ragsdale’s defense allows just 6.3 points per game.

“He’s as good as it is,” Tigers coach Tommy Norwood said following Friday’s 35-0 win at Southwest Guilford. “Every kickoff was in the end zone, he averaged about 35 yards punting – and he gets it so high, so there’s no return.”

Redfern only began punting this season, which is when the longtime standout keeper on the Ragsdale soccer squad elected to focus on football.

“The summer was tough, making the decision to stop playing soccer,” said Redfern, a soccer player from the age of 8. “But it’s what I felt I needed to do for my future, college. I love every sport. I wish I could play them all.”

For all the booming kickoffs, 30 PATs and three field goals this season – on the heels of 50 PATs and six field goals last fall – Redfern hasn’t received any scholarship offers yet. A few recruiting trips are in the works, though, and Redfern remains hopeful.

“I’d like to go D-I, but I just want to play college football,” Redfern said.

Given that he’s added punting to his impressive place-kicking resume – and picked up the skill well enough to average 33 yards a kick with 11 inside the 20 – the chance should come.

“You never know about a kicker,” fretted Norwood. “A lot of times they want those guys to walk on and then they give them a scholarship. We just have to see. He’s pretty special. I hope (a good offer comes along). I’m not gonna have one any better.”

PRETTY IN PINK

It was a no-brainer for the Southwest Guilford cheerleaders to sport bright pink hair ribbons, while the Ragsdale cheerleaders performed Friday night in special pink T-shirts. October is, after all, breast cancer awareness month, and support for the cause has trickled down to the high school level the past several years.

On the football field, though, a number of Ragsdale players sported either bright pink wrist sweat bands or bright pink training tape wrapping wrists or ankles.

Defensive lineman Cedric Ellison said his decision to use the pink tape was to remember his late great-grandmother. Norwood said the coaching staff had nothing to do with the tributes, though.

“It was the kids’ ideas, just something they wanted to do,” Norwood offered. “It says a little bit about our kids.”

Watauga High School at Ragsdale

2009-11-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

Photo by Don Williams - www.LpPhotos.com

Round 1 had some elements of concern beyond the typical concerns of playoff football. With our starting center Elliott Cobb having a broken thumb and unable to play center, there was concern about how that would effect the cohesiveness of the offensive line. With Elliott injured Matt Martin got his first varsity start. As the game went on Tyler Ritter moved over from his guard spot to play some center as well. This move put Elliott back in the game at guard. All 3 boys gave it their all and should be proud of their efforts. Elliott played with a broken thumb, Matt got his first varsity start, and Tyler played center in a game for the first time ever.

Now to the game - It was a beating! The team really played well after what I think many would consider a somewhat slow start. After Kasey Redfern kicked a FG to put our team up 3 to zip we had a couple of punts then turned up the gas! For the 2nd time in 2 weeks we scored a TD in the last 30 seconds of the first half.

Below is the article from the High Point Enterprise.

Ragsdale surges into second round of playoffs!

by Daniel Kennedy

JAMESTOWN – A contest that started slowly for the No. 3 seed gave way to three explosive quarters for the Ragsdale Tigers, as they notched a 31-0 rout of Watauga in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A playoffs.

An efficient passing game and bruising rushing attack paced a balanced offense that put plenty of points on the board for the team’s stifling defense, which led Ragsdale to its 12th win of the season.

Quarterback Luke Heavner sparked the dynamic unit by completing 15 of his 20 attempts through the air.

The junior signal-caller developed a solid rapport with Desean Anderson and Tyquan Roberts throughout the night, as he found Anderson seven times for 66 yards and one of the team’s four touchdowns. Roberts received five passes for another 51 yards and narrowly missed a 12-yard TD reception in the first quarter.

Kasey Redfern’s 29-yard field goal stood as the lone Tiger points until Chris Armwood’s 44-yard punt return in the second quarter set up a 1-yard touchdown run from Heavner with 7:12 left in the half. On Ragsdale’s next possession, Heavner lobbed a beautiful fade pass to Anderson in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 17-0 heading into the half.

In putting the finishing touches on its victory, the Tigers handed the ball to D-onovan Smith to eat up the clock in the second half. Smith punished the Pioneer defense with a barrage of inside rushes, carrying 21 times for 95 yards.

The Tigers will look to continue their undefeated run Friday night in advancing to face No. 6 seed Sun Valley at Kenneth T. Miller Stadium.

Scoring summary

Watauga 0 0 0 0 — 0

Ragsdale 3 14 14 0 — 0

R – Redfern 29 FG, 7:02, 1st

R – Heavner 1 run (Redfern kick), 7:12, 2nd

R – Anderson 7 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick), 0:42, 2nd

R – Shouse 23 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick), 4:23, 3rd

R – McQueen 41 interception return (Redfern kick), 3:20, 3rd

Ragsdale at High Point Central

2009-11-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

Photo by Don Willimas www.LpPhotos.com
The game tonight was special for many reasons. It was for a conference championship. It was for a 3rd consecutive season of going undefeated in the conference. I was also for a 2nd consecutive season with an undefeated regular season. The team and coaches seemed up for the task with an outstanding performance to close the regular season. There were many outstanding performances last night - Luke Heavner was awesome. DeSean with his remarkable diving catch. Walt Sparks played a great game at LB. And the offensive line was simply pounding Central in the 2nd half.

Below is an article from the High Point Enterprise.

Tigers Remain Untamed

by Steve Hanf

HIGH POINT – One electrifying play got the Ragsdale offense roaring Friday night.

Three High Point Central miscues in the waning moments of the second half added fuel to the fire.

The Tigers scored 24 points in the final 7:23 of the second quarter – getting two touchdowns 22 seconds apart in the last minute – and romped to a 34-7 victory at Simeon Stadium. Ragsdale wrapped up an 11-0 regular season, the Piedmont Triad 4A Conference championship and no doubt an exceedingly high seed for the 4A playoffs.

The Bison, meanwhile, finished 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the league, tied for second with East Forsyth and Glenn. Central will learn its playoff seeding later today when the NCHSAA releases brackets.

“We made a couple of mistakes and it broke things open,” Central coach Wayne Jones said. “They took advantage of it. They hit us with some big plays – they’re a good team. We lost to a good football team.”

The good team became great early in the second quarter when Luke Heavner launched a pass that seemed impossibly long. But DeSean Anderson sped down the middle of the field and launched into a head-long dive, snaring the ball while fully extended and holding it as he crashed to the turf. The 37-yard gain set up a 3-yard scoring run by D-onovan Smith, and the rout was on.

“At first I thought he over-threw me, but the good Lord blessed me with some extra speed and I caught it,” Anderson said. “After that, I felt like we broke a barrier, that if we scored right here it would change the whole game around.”

The Tigers forced a punt and followed it with a Kasey Redfern 42-yard field goal to lead 10-0 at the 2:43 mark. Central then faced another punt from its own 36, but a snap to the up-back on a fake bounced away and was covered by Ragsdale’s Trey Swaim.

Jones took the blame for that call, saying not all of his players got the signal for the fake and that he should have punted. The Tigers drove that point home two plays later when Heavner hit Anderson on a beautiful 25-yarder down the middle with 49 seconds to go.

Central fumbled its second play of the next drive to give the Tigers the ball on the 20 still with 32 seconds remaining, and Heavner’s fade to Tyquan Roberts offered an exclamation point and 24-0 lead at the half.

Ragsdale pounded the ball on the ground in the final 24 minutes, getting a 20-yard field goal after a 13-play, 51-yard march that took 6:10 and a Heavner plunge from 1 yard out to cap a 15-play, 79-yard drive that chewed 7:18 off the clock. Smith, who carried just twice in the fourth quarter, ended with 117 yards on 26 carries.

The lone Bison score came on a Drew Adams to Derek Grant connection from 17 yards out at the 3:57 mark of the fourth quarter.

shanf@hpe.com | 888-3526

Scoring summary

Ragsdale 0 24 0 10 — 34

HP Central 0 0 0 7 — 7

R – Smith 3 run (Redfern kick), 7:23, 2nd

R – FG Redfern 42, 2:43, 2nd

R – Anderson 25 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick), 0:49, 2nd

R – Roberts 20 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick), 0:27, 2nd

R – FG Redfern 20, 3:53, 4th

R – Heavner 1 run (Redfern kick), 6:01, 4th

HPC – Grant 17 pass from Adams (Miller kick), 3:57, 4th

Elliot Cobb and Daniel McNeil on GreensboroSports.com

2009-11-06T04:36:00.001-08:00

Elliot Cobb and Daniel (Big D) McNeil were both interviewed last night at Shane's Rib Shack off Westover Terrace by www.GreensboroSports.com. Below is the show. The boys come in at about the 52 minute mark.

Plays of the Week Glenn at Ragsdale

2009-11-04T05:31:00.001-08:00

Here are the plays of the week from the Glenn game. Enjoy!

Re-Post of Jamestown News Article

2009-11-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

L to R Luke Heavner, DeSean Anderson, Elliott Cobb, Luke Sonricker, Tyler Ritter, Billy Stone, David Ritter, Walt Sparks.

Below is an article from the Jamestown News. I can honestly say that coaching the boys was one of the best experiences of my life. We had good times and made such good friends. It is in the end what brought us back to Jamestown and allowing Tyler to finish his prep football career with his closest friends.

It takes a village to build a football program.

November 4, 2009

by Ogi Overman
(Part two of a two-part series)

If one is searching for first causes, it only makes sense to go back to the beginning. If the search seeks to explain Ragsdale's current football season, which at this juncture is undefeated and one win away from the Piedmont Triad 4A conference championship, the first cause would likely be the formation of the Jamestown YMCA team in 2001. Although only one member of that team, Tyler Ritter, is currently playing for the Tigers, by the second season the team blossomed, producing at least a dozen current high school stars, most of them at Ragsdale.

Last week several of those instrumental in the creation of the youth league shared their recollections. Here are several more.

Dave Ritter, coach of the teams for their first three years

"It looked like it was going to die after that first year, and I went to Kim (McKone) and Terry (Matthews) at the Y and begged them to let me try to keep it going. I promised them we'd do some fundraisers and make this one of the best things they've ever done. The first year it cost the kids $150 for their equipment and $125 registration fee.

I went on a recruiting spree the second year and brought in DeSean Anderson and Walt Sparks and some kids I knew wanted to play. We went 7-0 on the 9/10 league and the 11/12 league did well too. Then the third year we brought in Luke Heavner and Robert Pompey and some other good kids and had it rolling by then.

I have a P.E. degree and had coached middle school football in Boone, but to show you what a good judge of talent I was, remember Tim Romer, who had such a good year as Ragsdale's quarterback last year? I had him playing nose guard.

I loved doing it but there were several others that deserve the credit. Jamie Martin and Mark Leitner were instrumental, and so was our team mom, Mrs. Meredith. We are fortunate in our community to have such good parents that are involved in good, positive ways.

My role these days is to make motivational videos and show them to the kids. We'll take game footage going back to the youth league and through middle school to the present and mix in cool music and end up with kind of a 'Rudy' message.

We've got a lot of good kids here. I dread seeing it come to an end, but hope it ends with a nice championship."

Dr. Kathy Rogers, Ragsdale principal

"This was really a great joint venture among a lot of us, but I imagine it was the brainchild of Billy Ragsdale. Everybody was so cooperative, our football coaches were awesome, the Y was amazing in developing a program that we'd be honored to have as our feeder program.

The Jamestown Youth League was fantastic, too. Men like Jerry Fuqua, Frank Weaver and John Overbeck, you couldn't ask for a better group.

All those who play don't necessarily come here and continue playing, but what's even more important is that they get the chance to be a part of a team and the values the Y instills in them. It's a wonderful way to develop young boys into young men. Further, it's preparing them to be good grown-up men, good fathers, brothers, citizens, that's the best part. Sure, I love it because they can play football, but it's that other part, those intangibles, that makes it all worthwhile."

DeSean Anderson, Ragsdale all-star wide receiver

"We were playing flag football at 7 and 8 but we wanted to play tackle. I was kind of like I am now, I played a little bit of everything, and Coach Norwood pulled some of us out individually in the eighth grade and we started working with the Ragsdale quarterbacks in the summer.

Quite a few of us have been together the whole time. Off these two teams there's Billy Stone, Elliot Cobb, Walt Sparks, Luke Sonnricker, Tyler Ritter, Robert Pompey, Matt Martin, Luke Heavner, Pete Romer and Tim Cates. Plus, Joseph Patterson's playing at Southern Guilford and Brian Hatchell's at Southwest.

The big difference in playing together that long is the trust factor. We all know how to react to each other because we know what they're going to do before they do it. For instance, (linebacker Sparks) Walt knows he can cheat up because he knows Billy's (Stone) got his back. It's a huge advantage.

(Late coach) Ronnie Smith entered the picture when I was born. He was like a second father to me. Truthfully, if not for him I wouldn't still be playing baseball today. The scholarship to South Carolina can all be traced back to him taking me out on weekends teaching me how to hit.

I messed up my knee earlier but I'm healthy now. I'm out here with my boys right now because I want that ring. We all do."

Ogi Overman can be reached at (336) 841-4933 or

2009-10-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

Another great defensive effort. The team really faught hard tonight against a determined, well coached, and talented Glenn team. The win clinched at least a share of 1st place in the conference and sets up a huge showdown next week at High Point Central. Offensively we all have to take our hats off to DeShawn Shouse! He played a great game with Luke Sonricker and Tyquan Roberts out we needed him and he delivered. Way to go DeShawn!

I will post more video and photos over the weekend so check back!

Below is the article from the High Point Enterprise. The Pictures above are from the News and Record.

by Daniel Kennedy of the High Point Enterprise.

JAMESTOWN – Given the nature of Friday night’s contest between Glenn and Ragsdale, it would have been understandable for each team to bring its best game plan to Kenneth T. Miller Stadium and refuse to deviate from the script.

Not so.

Tigers coach Tommy Norwood deployed a secret weapon in the form of junior Deshawn Shouse. Tied 7-7 in the second quarter, quarterback Luke Heavner found an open Shouse, who snagged the pass, shook a tackle and darted into the end zone for a go-ahead 50-yard score. The Tigers never looked back.

“I am proud as I can be of Deshawn Shouse,” Norwood said. “Somebody had to come up big and he made big catch after big catch.”

In a game that featured two teams undefeated in conference play, a 50-year celebration of Ragsdale High School and Senior Night for the Tigers, perhaps the biggest storyline on the field was the chess match between two long-time friends.

While serving as Cline’s assistant throughout the 1980s, Norwood picked up innumerable tendencies from his former ally. Norwood’s willingness to complement a strong running game by throwing the ball more than usual simply illustrated his knowledge of Cline’s tremendous defense.

“Coach Cline and I have known each other for years,” Norwood said. “There’s not much we don’t know about each other.”

Glenn controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the first quarter and Tiger tailback D-onovan Smith – who finished with 26 carries and 84 yards – found tough sledding in the ground game. Josh Hawkins broke an 83-yard touchdown on Glenn’s second play from scrimmage.

One quarter was all Norwood needed to see before making the necessary adjustments and taking to the air. Consequently, Heavner passed for 134 yards – 119 of which went to Shouse – and two touchdowns, completing 14-of-20 passes.

Ragsdale moves to 10-0 (5-0 Piedmont Triad 4A), setting up a regular-season finale at High Point Central that could either result in an outright title or a three-way tie with the Bison and Glenn.

Scoring summary

Glenn 7 3 0 0 — 10

Ragsdale 0 14 3 6 — 23

G – Hawkins 83 run (Thomlinson kick), 10:33, 1st

R – Brown 4 run (Redfern kick), 8:27, 2nd

R – Shouse 50 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick), 4:30, 2nd

G – Thomlinson 24 FG, 0:00, 2nd

R – Redfern 30 FG, 8:17, 3rd

R – Romer 7 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick failed), 0:56, 4th

Plays of the Week - NWGHS at Ragsdale

2009-10-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Below are the Plays of the Week as decided by ME! Enjoy!

WOW!

2009-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

I just found this awesome photo online of Desean Anderson. I thought everyone should see it. I would love to give credit but I do not know who took it.

Northwest Guilford at Ragsdale

2009-10-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Below is what I found on the game last night.

Ragsdale 20, Northwest Guilford 0
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Keith Tolbert

JAMESTOWN - For the fourth straight game, the Ragsdale Tigers shutout an opponent, this time beating Northwest Guilford 20-0.

But it wasn't easy.

After a scoreless first half, Ragsdale took command in the third quarter. Tigers coach Tommy Norwood said he didn't yell at halftime and just told his players to not give up.

"We didn't do anything different, we just had a different mentality," Norwood said. "We had some penalties and that hurt us. You can't do that and keep drives alive."

But to start third quarter, a short kickoff and a good return set the Tigers up near midfield and they only needed two plays to score. A 14-yard run by D'Onovan Smith put Ragsdale into Northwest Guilford territory. Quarterback Luke Heavner then threw a short pass to Desean Anderson, who turned up field, broke a tackle at the 25-yard line and sprinted to the end zone.

An interception by the Tigers' Avery Washington on the Vikings' next possession set Ragsdale up at the Northwest 17-yard line. A 5-yard penalty backed them up, but Smith picked up 14 yards on the next play. He then scored from 3-yards out to give the Tigers a 13-0 lead after the missed extra point.

"I just got my hands under it," said Washington, who caught the ball just before it hit the ground after it was tipped by a defender. "We (the defense) just play as one. We've got to take it one game at a time."

Ragsdale's next possession resulted in another touchdown. This time Heavner found Tyquan Roberts in one-on-one coverage for a 39-yard scoring pass and a 20-0 lead with 11:53 to play.

"We just got better (as the game went on)," Norwood said. "I'm just real proud of the guys and that we are 9-0."

And while it took the offense some time to get going, the defense wasn't even threatened until the fourth quarter and the Tigers turned back a fake field goal to preserve the shutout.

Norwood said the experience of the unit is its biggest asset.

"We have six, 3-year starters and we are pretty good up front," Norwood said. "The coaches have also done a tremendous job."

Both teams played shutdown defense in the first half. There were eight punts between the teams, only 118 total yards and just five first downs.

The Tigers had the best opportunities to score, starting on the Northwest Guilford side of the field twice. Both times Ragsdale drove deep into Vikings' territory, but both times usually reliable kicker Kasey Redfern missed fields goals, one from 25-yards away and the second one from 40-yards out with 44 seconds to play in the first half.

Meanwhile, Northwest Guilford never even crossed midfield. Its longest drive was for 21 yards. They had 168 yards in punts.

NW Guilford Ragsdale
First downs 5 12
Rushes-yards 31-102 32-137
Passing yards 20 127
Comp-Att-Int 4-12-1 7-10-0
Punts-average 8-31.4 3-44.3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-39 10-85

Northwest Guilford 0 0 0 0 - 0
Ragsdale 0 0 13 7 - 20

R-Desean Anderson 37 pass from Luke Heavner (Kasey Redfern kick)

R-D'Onovan Smith 3 run (kick fails)

R-Tyquan Roberts 39 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)

Something fun to watch!

2009-10-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a video that was featured on ESPN2 earlier today.

Pre-Game Show from www.GreensboroSports.com

2009-10-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight Tyler Ritter and Cedric Ellison were invited to Shane's Rib Shack on Westover Terrace to be interviewed for the tomorrow night's game against Northwest Guilford.

I thought both Cedric and Tyler did well. There was a funny moment when Andy Durham asked Tyler to give a one word discription of Rush Limbaugh. Tyler not knowing who Rush Limbaugh was figured he must be a football player answered - "Playmaker". Cedric, Walt, and Billy gave him a lot of grief about that.

Below is the video. It is LONG! Tyler and Ced come in at about the 39 minute mark.

Plays of the Week from the SWG Game

2009-10-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

These are the 5 plays I chose as the plays of the week. There are actually 11. I counted Kasey kicking the ball into the end zone 7 times as 1 play. In addition to the kicking play there are 2 offensive and 2 defensive plays.

Enjoy

Ragsdale at Southwest Guilford

2009-10-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight's win comes with the very sad news that Luke "Ono Ono" Sonricker has broken his arm. We are all going to miss seeing Luke play. We can pray for a speedy recovery and a long playoff run so we can see him back in action.

Below is the information I got from the High Point Enterprise's website.

HIGH POINT – Accustomed to rip-roaring affairs the past few seasons, fans on both sides of the stadium sat quietly through much of Friday night’s game.

Blame the Ragsdale offense for dominating so thoroughly in the first half.

Credit Southwest Guilford’s defense for throttling the Tigers most of the second.

“We were trying to show them the last couple of years were a fluke,”

Tigers defensive lineman Cedric Ellison said following Ragsdale’s 35-0 victory. “We had to come out and establish that we were a lot better than them.”

Ragsdale scored on four of its first five possessions. Luke Heavner’s QB sneak ended an eight-play, 53-yard drive highlighted by D-onovan Smith’s 31-yard scamper.

Smith later scored from 5 yards out after Chris Armwood’s 26-yard punt return gave the Tigers a short field. Following a rare three-and-out, Ragsdale used six Smith runs – including a 2-yarder to the end zone – to complete a 62-yard drive.

One series later, a Ragsdale punt was brought back when Southwest had 12 players on the field. After the Tigers made it on fourth-and-inches, DeSean Anderson cut back on an end-around from 5 yards out to cap the 10-play, 68-yard drive. Kasey Redfern’s powerful PATs and booming kickoffs added to the fun of a 28-0 half.

Not that the Cowboys had much fun. Southwest ran 20 plays for 25 yards in the first two quarters, getting two first downs and punting six times. The second half’s lone offensive highlight was J.J. Garrison’s 43-yard scamper in the fourth quarter for the lone first down of the half.

“We have to find a way to score some points, and that’s the bottom line,” Southwest coach Scott Schwarzer said. “It’s like a broken record. It’s frustrating. But, I didn’t get into this business because it’s easy.”

For all the frustration, the Cowboys buckled down in the second half. Ragsdale punted three times, and Heavner saw an interception at the goal line by Greg Bridges returned 72 yards for a Southwest highlight.

Four plays later, the ball went over on downs, and the game played out with only Barry Brown’s 1-yard plunge midway through the fourth adding to the scoreboard.

Tigers coach Tommy Norwood lamented a lack of execution offensively for his 7-0 squad, now 3-0 in the Piedmont Triad 4A. But Ragsdale certainly sparkled on defense against Southwest (3-4, 0-2).

“Defensively, you can talk about everybody who wore a helmet,” Norwood said. “We got after them good and never let up.”

Stars: Ragsdale - D-onovan Smith, 27 carries for 155 yards, 2 TDs; Desean Anderson 4 carries for 39 yards, 4 catches for 40 yards, TD; Barry Brown 8 carries for 45 yards, TD.

Ragsdale
First downs 14 3
Rushes-yards 44-243
Passing yards 89
Comp-Att-Int 9-19-1.
Punts-average 5-32
Fumbles-lost 0-0
Penalties-yards 3-0

Ragsdale 14 14 0 7 - 35
Southwest Guilford 0 0 0 0 - 0

R - Luke Heavner 1 run (Kasey Redfern kick)

R - D-onovan Smith 5 run (Redfern kick)

R - Smith 2 run (Redfern kick)

R - Desean Anderson 6 run (Redfern kick)

R - Barry Brown 1 run (Redfern kick)

Below are videos I found from the local stations.

Plays of the Game for East Forsyth

2009-10-07T18:31:00.001-07:00

This week we have 4 plays of the week.
1. Darius McQueen touches the East Forsyth Tight End!(Under exaggeration)
2. Kasey Redfern kicks the ball on to High Point Rd! (Slight exaggeration)
3. Luke Heavner throws a bomb to Tyquan "TuTu" Roberts. (No exaggeration)
4. Tyler Ritter bends his helmet's face mask blocking the East Forsyth DE. (the truth hurts - watch the kid get-up and then bend backover!)

ENJOY!

East Forsyth at Ragsdale

2009-10-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

WOW! Every week I come into the game a bit nervous, by the mid point of the 1st quarter I have felt confident the boys were going to take care of business. Coach Norwood told the team after the game to not be satisfied and to be ready to have a great week of practice. I am confident they will not be satisfied and that they will have a great week of practice.

Below is the article from the Winston-Salem Journal and above is a photo from the News and Record.

By Michael Graff
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Published: October 3, 2009
JAMESTOWN
East Forsyth's Eagles didn't have to suffer through heartache this time, didn't have to swallow another last-second loss and ponder their status as a team that could have, or would have, or should have. This was more a moment of recognition: A year after their championship run, they are no longer the best team in their league.
That honor may belong to Ragsdale, the fourth-ranked team in the Associated Press' latest 4-A poll and the undefeated machine that drilled East Forsyth 31-0 last night.
And if it's not Ragsdale, it's somebody better, and that's a scary notion if you're the Eagles, who won the Metro 4-A Conference last season.
After the four previous games, it was hard to figure out the Eagles' position in the pecking order.
They lost four straight games by seven points or fewer, including one on a goal-line stand in the last minute against Reynolds two weeks ago.
But after being outgained in total yardage 314 to 89, and outnumbered in first downs 19 to 4, the Eagles (2-5, 0-2 Piedmont Triad 4-A) clearly were outmatched by Ragsdale (7-0, 2-0).
"That's by far the best team we've played all year," East coach Todd Willert said. "It's the same philosophy every time. (Ragsdale coach Tommy Norwood) is old school. He runs four run plays and four pass plays and they come get it on defense. And they do it all well."
Ragsdale quarterback Luke Heavner is a big reason for that. He continued his solid junior season, passing for two touchdowns and running for another.
He finished with 119 yards on 11-of-17 passing. Tailback D'Onovan Smith ran for 105 yards on 21 carries before being pulled in the fourth quarter in the blowout.
Luke Sonricker and Desean Anderson had 10 catches between them (Sonricker four and Anderson six).
But it was another wideout, Tyquan Roberts, who put his stamp to the game, racing down the sideline and catching a bomb over an East defender's head for a 41-yard touchdown, the last score of the game.
East was unable to sustain anything.
Quarterback Erick Smith did complete passes to five different receivers, but they amounted to only 15 yards. Travis Cuthberson led East with 45 yards -- most of which came in a 36-yarder in the fourth quarter.
"We are very good on defense. We're returning six kids that are three-year starters for us," Norwood said. "And we've got some playmakers on offense, too."
Ragsdale's only miscue, was a fumbled punt. Otherwise, the Tigers scored on their first three possessions, ran 23 efficient offensive plays for 170 yards in the first half, and left East backpedaling right into the locker room at halftime.
After a 28-yard field goal from Kasey Redfern in the first quarter, Ragsdale got its first touchdown early in the second quarter when Sonricker ran a sharp out pattern, creating enough separation for quarterback Heavner to zip a pass to him for an 11-yard score. Minutes later, Heavner found Sonricker again for 32 yards on a third-and-8, keeping alive a drive that ended with Anderson's 10-yard sweep touchdown. That made it 17-0 at halftime.
East did manage to force Ragsdale into three second-half punts, but it was evident from the start that this wouldn't be another close finish.
"I think we came in a little intimidated," Willert said. "After losing four close ones, I don't care who you are, a high school team, college team, pro team, it takes a lot out of you."

East Forsyth 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Ragsdale 3 14 7 7 -- 31
R – FG 28 Redfern
R – Sonricker 11 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)
R – Anderson 10 run (Redfern kick)
R – Heavner 1 run (Redfern kick)
R – Roberts 41 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)
Records – East Forsyth 2-5, 0-2 Piedmont Triad 4-A; Ragsdale 7-0, 2-0 Piedmont Triad 4-A

Ragsdale Satistics
First downs 15
Rushes-yards 37-194
Passing yards 170
Comp-Att-Int 12-18-0
Punts-average 4-21
Fumbles-lost 0-0
Penalties-yards 9-40

2009-10-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Kimberly Norwood recently completed another website for our beloved Tigers. You can see it here- www.RagsdaleTigersFootball.com. Be sure to bookmark it!

Go Tigers!

A Better Play from Parkland Game

2009-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

These are the 2 videos I have submitted to A Better Play (www.ABetterPlay.com). Go to their site to vote on the play of the week. See post below for more details.

A Better Play!

2009-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ok folks - we all know that we love our Tigers. We also know we have the BEST plays of any high school team in the state week-in and week-out. Here's our chance to show the world.

http://www.abetterplay.com/ sponsored by Michelin Tire has a website where each week Ragsdale will post 3 great plays. These plays will compete with other submitted plays from across the state. The winning play each week wins the school $250.00! The play of the season gets the winning school $2000.00!

All you have to do is vote. Right now the second place play from the 18th of September is a 36 yard field goal! Are you kidding me? The leading play from the 18th is an 83 yard Kickoff return.
This is going to be like taking candy from a baby. Our plays make these plays look like recreation league stuff. So vote and vote often.

Elliott Cobb wins Contest!

2009-09-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Tyler, Elliott Cobb, Jordon Morris, Billy Stone, Neil Jones and Luke "Uno Uno" Sonricker attended the Appalchian State - Samford game. We enjoyed everything about the day including the full "moon" on the drive-up. We all had a great time. It rained on us all day but it did not curbed our enthusiasm. The game was great as ASU finally won. The boys all participated in the ASU recruiting presentation. Tyler was particularly impressed with the new facilities ASU now has.

After the game we drove to Buffalo Wild Wings in Winston Salem. Elliott Cobb and Neil Jones decided to do a very stupid thing. They decided to take the "Blazin Wing Challenge". The object of the challenge was to eat 12 of the hottest wings they sell in less than 6 minutes. Neil quit after just 4 wings but Cobb literally sweated it out and came through victorious! Proudly wearing the Ragsdale colors he ate all 12 wings in 10 minutes and 18 seconds! The boys of course went crazy. Elliott won a T-Shirt and the admiration of people who like to watch people do crazy things.

Ragsdale Vs Parkland

2009-09-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

The team kept things rolling last night. The team had their first shutout of the season and the offense played exceptionally effiencent. Darius McQueen scored his second TD in 2 weeks on a fumble recovery.

I spoke briefly with Coach Giles after the game. He said he felt that we are still improving. I agree. I see our offensive line looking more confident with each game. Luke Heavner played well last night in a game where we did not throw as much. When we did throw the ball he put it on the money. Desean Anderson had another receiving TD as did Luke "Uno Uno" Sonricker. I do not keep stats but If I recall correctly Tutu caught 2 balls and threw a TD. If he keeps improving his best months may be when we need him most - November and early December.

I talked with Elliott Cobb last night too. Elliott informed me that he did not hold. Even though the ref called it on him. It's a fact that if you ask any offensive lineman if they have ever held they will say - NO! On the other hand, if you ask a defensive lineman if offensive line ever holds they say - Every PLAY! As a former high school offensive lineman and the father of an offensive lineman I personally have never seen a lineman from a team I played for or pulled for hold. In fact I felt that Caleb Cates had a great block on the TD pass against SEG last year.

I need photos! Somebody please put them on FLickr so that I can add to the blog.

Below are the videos I found from the game last night.

Ragsdale Vs. Person County

2009-09-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

The defense played great last night as they scored on 2 fumble recoveries. The first TD by the defense was on a bad pitch. Walt Sparks made one of those plays that goes unnoticed many times in a football game but the type of play that helps your team win games. The ball was on the ground and Walt of course was going to go get it. He saw in an instant that their QB was going to beat him to the ball. Instead of going for the ball, Walt knock the crap out of the QB. That left the ball on the ground for Big D (Daniel McNeil) to scoop-up and run it in for the TD. Nice play Wally - I did not want you to think it went unnoticed!

The offense moved the ball effectively all night but turnovers killed 3 drives. Below is the only article I found on the game. It is from the Roxboro-Courier. It's a very slanted article toward the hometown team but that's OK. The first paragraph of the article states - "The final score gives the appearance of a blowout but the Person Rockets actually had chances to seriously challenge the powerhouse Ragsdale Tigers..." They had chances alright but the bottom line is that they could not move the ball at all. Other than the 53 yard TD run does anyone remember a play for Person county going for more than 8 yards?

The article also states "Person’s defense played a strong game, holding the vaunted Tiger offense to 203 total yards (just 80 on the ground) and picking off three passes." Its hard to get 350 + yards of offense when the defense scores 2 TDs and takes 2 possessions from the offense. It's also hard to get 350 + yards when you get the ball at mid-field as often as we did.

Make no mistake this was a beating. Here's the article below that tries to give the hometown team the warm and fuzzy's. Personally I like taking the win.

By Greg Phipps
C-T Sports Editor
ctsports@roxboro-courier.com

Published: Saturday, September 19, 2009 5:14 AM CDT

The final score gives the appearance of a blowout but the Person Rockets actually had chances to seriously challenge the powerhouse Ragsdale Tigers Friday night in front of a surprisingly sparse crowd at Rocket Stadium’s Connie Mack Gravitte Field, especially considering the opponent was one of the top-ranked teams in the state.

Person’s defense played a strong game, holding the vaunted Tiger offense to 203 total yards (just 80 on the ground) and picking off three passes.

Unfortunately, the Rockets committed two costly fumbles deep in their own territory that led to two Ragsdale scores, and the offense, under the direction of sophomore Keith McCain, couldn’t engineer much in a 35-7 victory for the visitors.

With the win, Ragsdale remained unbeaten at 5-0.

McCain, who was the starting QB on the junior varsity team last year, was filling in for the injured Seth Oakley and threw just four times with no completions in his first-ever varsity start.

“I think he did a great job having to step into this situation,” said Person head coach Don Donevan of McCain. “He had a few mishandled snaps but overall I think he rose to the occasion and did a good job.”

One particular series in the final minute of the first half with the Rockets trailing 21-7 turned out to be perhaps the crucial moment of the contest.

Linebacker Lance Hamlett returned an interception 65 yards to the Ragsdale five-yard line, and the hosts appeared to be in business. Carl Allen gained three yards to the two on the first play but that was the closest the Rockets would get to the end zone.

Another fumble on third down caused Person, now 2-3 on the season, to lose two yards back to the four, and instead of electing to kick the field goal on fourth down, the Rockets went for it.

A pitch to Allen failed to gain anything and, instead of a one-touchdown lead, the Tigers took their 14-point advantage into the half.

“They did a great job to stop us there,” said Donevan of Ragsdale’s goal-line stand before intermission. “I know I might get questioned about not going for the field goal in that situation, but I wanted to push it in. I thought that would give us a lot of momentum going into the half.”

Ragsdale drove from its own four to the Rocket 45 to open the third period before James Thorpe intercepted an overthrow by QB Luke Heavner (the third for Person on the night) to stall the march.

The Rocket offense got generous, however, and fumbled away the ball inside the 20, as defensive back Darius McQueen picked it up and trotted in from 12 yards out to give Ragsdale a 28-7 bulge.

Pictures from Earlier this Year

2009-09-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

If you see a picture you like or want let me know and I will email it to you.

Motivational Videos

2009-09-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

Here's a blooper video that I thought everyone might enjoy.

Highlight Videos of Tyler and Elliott

2009-09-15T07:02:00.001-07:00

I recently created a couple of highlight videos for Tyler Ritter and Elliott Cobb. For those who do not know Tyler is #60 and plays Right Guard. Elliott is #75 and plays center.

Enjoy the videos -

Elliott's Video

Tyler's Video

Photos from games

2009-09-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

If you like good photos of your kid in action like I do then be sure to check out this link - http://lpphotos.com/RagsdaleHighSchoolFootball.aspx

Don Williams does a great job of taking pictures. I know a lot of you already know about this site. I just recently found it and wanted to help those like me who did not know it was there.

The Page Pounding!

2009-09-12T04:34:00.000-07:00

I cannot imagine a more complete game! That was as good of football as I have ever seen.

Below is a photo and article from the News and Record.

Ragsdale 42, Page 21
Friday, September 11, 2009

JAMESTOWN - The game was over by halftime, but the football massacre lasted all evening.

Ragsdale tried hard to stop it, but in a mismatch during which they couldn't help but score and score often, the Tigers scored seven straight touchdowns and humiliated Page 42-21 in matchup of unbeatens.

Talk about false advertising: This was a game billed as must-see football between Guilford County's top two teams. But by halftime it was clear that only the Tigers (4-0) would be holding up their end of the hype.

"We played a great game, a super game and not just on offense," Ragsdale coach Tommy Norwood said. "People might remember all those touchdowns, but they shouldn't forget our defense shut them down for most of the game."

The stars were everywhere for Ragsdale, which scored in every possible manner at Kenneth Miller Stadium, but the brightest was quarterback Luke Heavner.

A few more games like Friday's and Heavner, a junior, might make Ragsdale fans forget about older brother Matt Heavner, the Tigers' standout quarterback from two seasons ago. Matt Heavner is a sophomore at Davidson where he is the Wilcats' backup quarterback.

The latest Heavner to wear a Ragsdale uniform completed 12 of 16 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns against a Page defense that was thoroughly frustrated and confused by the junior's ability to scramble and throw on the run.

What little drama this game contained was packed into the first quarter. After Ragsdale defensice back Darrius McQueen recovered a fumble at midfield, the Tigers needed just six plays to take a 7-0 lead. D'onovan Smith capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run.

Page (3-1) answered immediately with a touchdown of its own. On their ensuing drive, the Pirates drove 80 yards in nine plays with quarterback James Summers rolling to his right and tossing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Collie.

That tied the game at 7 and it looked like it would be a game.

It wasn't.

Behind Heavner, the Tigers scored the game's next 35 points - an onslaught that included five touchdowns during a 10-minute stretch that started in the second quarter and didn't end until midway through the third.

Leading 21-7 at the half, Ragsdale's Chris Armwood took the second-half kickoff and raced 99 yards up the middle for a touchdown and the rout was on.

After Page failed to get a first down and was forced to punt, the Tigers struck again. This time, fullback D'Onovan Smith ran 12 yards up the middle for the score.

And when wide receiver Luke Sonricker slipped behind Page's secondary for a 43-yard touchdown pass from Heavner, giving the Tigers a 42-7 lead, it was left to Norwood to sum up the night.
"We couldn't play a better game of football," said Norwood. "Every part of our game was on tonight."

Page scored a pair of touchdowns late.

Drew Rogers scored on a 19-yard pass from quarterback James Summers and then Summers raced 60 yards for a score of his own, but by then Ragsdale had made its point to both the Pirates and the rest of the county.

"To play the schedule we've played so far and come out unscratched shows just how good this team is and what we can do," said Norwood. "I'm proud of them, really proud."

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.

Page Ragsdale
First downs 9 12
Rushes-yards 40-149 28-119
Passing yards 56 189
Comp-Att-Int 4-10-0 12-17-0
Punts-average 7-39 3-37
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-28 4-35

Page 7 0 7 7 - 21
Ragsdale 7 14 21 0 - 42

R -D'Onovan Smith 8 run (Kasey Redfern kick)

P - Jeremy Collie 4 pass from James Summers (Austin Anthony kick)

R - Pete Romer 15 pass from Luke Heavner (Redfern kick)

R - Deshawn Anderson 22 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)

R - Chris Armwood 100 kick return (Redfern kick)

R -Smith 12 run (Redfern kick)

R - Luke Sonricker 43 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)

P - Drew Rogers 19 pass from Summers (Anthony kick)

P - Summers 60 run (Anothny kick)

Records: Page 3-1; Ragsdale 4-0

Photos from Lauren Teer!

2009-09-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Please give a shout out and thank you to Lauren Teer for taking these great photos!

Western Guilford Game

2009-09-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

The boys played well again as they defeated the Western Guilford Hornets 34 to 7.

Below is the article from the Greensboro News and Record.

Ragsdale 34, Western Guilford 7
Friday, September 4, 2009

Why Ragsdale won: Tigers linebacker Walt Sparks ran an interception back 33 yards for a touchdown on the game's third play, and Ragsdale tightened the screws from there, scoring 34 unanswered and keeping the Hornets off the board until 4:20 left in the game. Ragsdale held Western to minus-2 yards rushing.

"That never was a threat," Ragsdale coach Tommy Norwood said. "We were able to put pressure on the quarterback, they got behind early and then started throwing it all the time."

D'onovan Smith and Luke Heavner each ran for a touchdown, and Heavner also threw one to DeSean Anderson. Kasey Redfern added a pair of field goals.

"I'm proud our kids were able to run the football a little bit," Norwood said, "and on defense we were able have some success against a team that could throw."

Ragsdale hosts fellow unbeaten Page next week. "I figure there might be a few people there," Norwood joked.

Ragsdale Western
First downs 10 7
Rushes-yards 41-130 12-(-2)
Passing yards 99 143
Comp-Att-Int 9-12-1 21-28-3
Punts-average 3-34 7-32
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 6-70 8-51

Ragsdale (3-0) 7 17 7 3 - 34
Western Guilford (0-3) 0 0 0 7 - 7

R - Walt Sparks 33 interception return (Kasey Redfern kick)

R - Redfern 42 field goal

R - Luke Heavner 6 run (Redfern kick)

R - D'onovan Smith 4 run (Redfern kick)

R - DeSean Anderson 11 pass from Heavner (Redfern kick)

R - Redfern 48 field goal

WG - Jabri Ridenhour 39 pass from Josh Thompson (Cody Johnson kick)

Dudley Game

2009-08-29T05:58:00.001-07:00

Below is the video from the game from all 3 local TV stations.

Nice view of the stops at the goal line on this one.

Walt and Billy

2009-08-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the News and Record's article -

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/08/27/article/ragsdale_linebackers_have_a_storied_history

Ragsdale linebackers have a storied history

Thursday, August 27, 2009
By Tom Keller
Staff Writer

FRIDAY NIGHTS Visit us online every Friday night for live scores, photos and game coverage.
Related Links Article: 2009 high school football schedules and results (Nov. 9) JAMESTOWN — Ragsdale linebackers Walt Sparks and Billy Stone have spent enough time together to qualify for Siamese-twin status.

Their first memory of each other is as opponents at a Mustang baseball game, where the then-8-year-old Sparks tripled off the fence against Stone. (Both remember it, though Stone recalls more vividly how his team still won.)

They've been teammates ever since; not only has Sparks essentially been Stone's personal catcher, they've been playing next to each other as linebackers for almost a decade, including this, their third and final season starting for Ragsdale. They are the unquestioned anchors of a defense that gets its biggest test of the season Friday against Dudley.

"There's not really much that catches us off guard any more," said Sparks, who led the Tigers with seven tackles in last week's 39-7 win over Southern Guilford.

Over the last two seasons, Sparks and Stone have combined for almost 400 tackles, more than 25 percent of Ragsdale's team total.

Stone, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound ball hawk in the middle, and Sparks, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound tactician on the outside, both made the leap to varsity as sophomores, and their heads spun together as they tried to keep up with the faster-paced game. Defensive coordinator Johnny Boykin helped slow it down by turning them into film hounds, showing how the principles they were struggling with in Ragsdale's 4-3 system were being applied in the NFL and even in the video games they had played so mindlessly before.

"I realized we were playing the same game," Sparks said. "Normally, I had just seen a bunch of yellow dots."

Now, their pre-snap ritual is like a poker player trying to smoke out a tell. A receiver in motion, a slight pigeon toe in an offensive lineman's feet — it's all a clue as to where the play is going. They bark what they see to each other, and countless times a game, that means an opposing play gets blown up before it gets off the ground.

"Makes me feel smart," Sparks said.

Stone has led the Tigers in tackles each of the last two seasons, including 127 last year — more than nine a game. But so much of their success depends on each other, their numbers might as well be added together.

"He's the thinker, I'm the reactor," Stone said. "I get to look good, but I know it's because of him. I still like to go on instincts, but now I know how to use my instincts better."

"It's a unique group. They're such good friends," head coach Tommy Norwood said. "They have great chemistry, great leadership, and their teammates respect them because they work so hard."

There isn't much that would mean more to this Ragsdale senior class than to knock off Dudley, the only team to beat it last season. Guilford County's two best teams were both 13-0 when they met in the 3-AA state quarterfinals, with Dudley winning 26-10 on the way to the state championship. Though the Panthers' 26 points were a playoff-low for them, they were the most the Tigers had surrendered all season and more than they had given up in their previous five games combined.

Many of the returning Tigers were in a weight-training class this spring when a coach told them Dudley had been added to the schedule.

"We looked at each other and just started hitting the weights like crazy," Stone said. "We didn't even say a word. We knew what was up."

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com

Game 1 Ragsdale Southern Guilford

2009-08-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

The boys played tonight as if it was the first game of the season. They made a few mistake and squeaked by 39 to 7. Dudley's on tap this week. Look out for the pre game video later this week. I am confident you are going to like it!

Enjoy the game action from Friday and WXII! Thanks Wendy for reminding me!

Ragsdale Football 2009 - We R One

2009-08-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Check out the video.

Photo Show

2009-08-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Below is a photo show I found on YouTube.com.

Enjoy -

First Day of Official Practice

2009-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Alec Cobb and I took a few photos today. Enjoy.

David

2009-07-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Recently Billy Stone, Garrison Herndon, Tyler Ritter and Walt Sparks attended the Duke Football camp. I have attached a few photos that Kirk Sparks sent me from that day.

Lee County 7 on 7

2009-06-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken at the 7 on 7 against Lee County Sr High.

David

Spring Practice

2009-05-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Things looked great today at spring practice. Today was actually the 2nd practice. Tyler looked big. He has grown 2 inches since last fall. He wasn't the only one to have grown Pete Roamer looked as if he had grown a foot. I had a chance to talk with Dwight Armwood for the first time in several months. As were talking his son Chris showed-up. He was a little late getting to practice. Chris ran on the field and promptly got in line ot take his turn in catching passes. He then tripped and fell on flat. Dwight and I got a laugh out of that. The kids did too. It was great seeing the kids, parents and coaches out there again.

2009-05-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have created this blog to document my son - Tyler Ritter's senior football season at Ragsdale High School. We are very proud of Tyler's efforts in getting prepared for this final prep season. I hope this blog will become very interactive. If you have pictures, video or comments please send them my way.