Mosley takes 1st district championship in 40 years with 28-13 win over Rickards
PANAMA CITY — Already down two of its best offensive weapons in senior receivers Josiah McCall and Chris Culver going into Friday's district contest against Rickards at Tommy Oliver Stadium, Mosley then lost its best and most experienced offensive lineman, senior left tackle Ryan Stephenson, to an injury in the second quarter.
Banged up and facing arguably their most talented opponent this season, the Dolphins still found a way to claim their eighth win in as many tries, and with it the program's first district championship in 40 years.
"To me it just speaks to the culture that we're building with our football program," Mosley coach Tommy Joe Whiddon said. "We lost our top two wideouts, but it created opportunities for other guys to step up and make plays. Landon Frank did a great job stepping up for us in Ryan's absence. It just speaks to the culture of the program with guys stepping up when they get the opporunity to step in and make plays."
Mosley (8-0) got three short touchdown runs by Randy Pittman and a touchdown pass from Cole Horton, while the defense closed it out late by getting turnovers on Rickards' last two possessions of the game.
It was easily the hardest-earned victory this season for the Dolphins, who had won their previous seven games by an average margin of 34.1 points. Mosley is now guaranteed a berth in the playoffs and will get at least one postseason game at Tommy Oliver Stadium.
It's a position that Horton said the Mosley players were determined to put themselves in well before the season started.
"It feels good, all the guys worked really hard for it," he said. "It's something we had in our mind since the beginning of summer. Every time we break something down it's always 'district champs, district champs, district champs.' It feels really good to be a part of something special. We're gonna go see what we can do the rest of the season."
It's just the second loss of the season and the first in league play for the Raiders (5-2), who still have some work left to do in the district with upcoming games against Lincoln and Choctawhatchee.
Rickards coach Quintin Lewis was effusive in his praise for the Dolphins and Whiddon while also hopeful that the Raiders will get another chance to come to Tommy Oliver next month.
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"First of all it was a great game, hats off to coach Whiddon and his group," he said. "He's done a great job of turning that program around and building a better atmosphere. You can't talk enough about how he's turned that program around to what it is now, and they're flourishing because of it, his personality and effort, everything he's put in place. It's amazing how their kids have bought into it.
"I hope we see them again and I hope it will be a different outcome. They'll be in the playoffs and be a top seed so someone will have to come here. Hopefully we'll get a chance to play them again and beat them."
Senior quarterback Michael Townsend led Rickards with 219 total yards of offense with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown. Horton completed 8 of 10 passes for 83 yards for Mosley with a 34-yard touchdown pass to EJ Reddice.
Florida Panhandle High School Football Week 8 Scoreboard
Player of the Game
Pittman didn't have the gaudiest numbers, catching four passes for 39 yards and rushing the ball just four times. He made all four carries count, however, taking three of them for touchdowns and converting a key fourth down on another.
His first TD capped off a 68-yard opening scoring drive for the Dolphins, and he then added a second score to finish off a 58-yard march to make it 14-7. His final touchdown run from 6 yards out with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter made it a two-possession game and gave the Dolphins some much needed breathing room.
Pittman's effectiveness as a Wildcat back in short yardage situations proved crucial to the Dolphins' victory tonight, just as it has been a key part of their success all season.
"I just follow the big boys up front," Pittman said. "Every time I get the ball I just go right behind them. I try to break a tackle or two, but other than that I just trust them and follow them to the end zone."
Stat of the Night
+2. That was the turnover margin for Mosley. In a game in which the Raiders outgained the Dolphins 329 to 227, the two turnovers, the first of which set up the final Mosley touchdown, with the second killing the Raiders' final drive at the Dolphins' 20-yard line, proved to be the difference.
Quotable
"An undefeated season is very important to us. We're not satisfied by any means. We're ready to take on this challenge. We want to go to state, we want to overcome everything Mosley has never done."
- Pittman on how important it is to the Dolphins to finish the regular season 10-0.
Turning Point
After Rickards' 17-play, 79-yard scoring drive capped by a 4-yard TD run by quarterback Michael Townsend made it a one-possession game at 21-13, the Raiders' defense forced a punt and got the ball back to the offense at their own 16-yard line with 7:30 remaining.
Three plays later, Townsend tried to scramble for a first down on third-and-10 only to have the ball knocked free by Mosley linebacker Jamir Croom, with Isaac Paul recovering to give the Dolphins the ball just outside the red zone.
Two plays after that, Pittman was in the end zone and Mosley led 28-13 midway through the fourth quarter.
"It was just some little mistakes by us, and great defense by them," Lewis said. "We had a couple of times the ball didn't fall our way. In the game of football the ball's got to fall your way and it fell their way tonight."
What's Next
Mosley will wrap up district play on the road next week against winless Fort Walton Beach (0-7) before returning to Tommy Oliver Stadium on Oct. 29 to play Gadsden County (1-6).
Rickards will return home next week for the first of two straight district games against Lincoln before going on the road the following week to face Choctaw.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Dolphins down Raiders 28-13, claim 1st district crown since 1981
