Tazewell steamrolls Ridgeview 54-10 in VHSL Class 2D opening round game

Nov. 11—TAZEWELL, Va. — A year ago, the Ridgeview High School football team defeated Tazewell 35-0 on a mountaintop football field n Dickenson County.

A lot can change in a year.

Carter Creasy passed for 436 yards and four touchdowns and the Bulldogs rolled to a 54-18 victory over the visiting Wolfpack at Witten Field-Bulldogs Stadium in Saturday's VHSL Class 2 opening round playoff game at Tazewell, Va., on Saturday.

"I think our line matched up with them today. I think our offensive line and defenslve line controlled the line of scrimmage. Usually if you do that you'll win a football game," said Bulldogs head coach J'me Harris, whose team battled the visitor to a scoreless draw in a first quarter that was merely the calm before the storm.

The win marked the first time since 2008 that Tazewell (8-3) has advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Up next they'll play Union in a 2 p.m. Saturday game at Bullitt Park in Big Stone Gap, Va. The Bears defeated Virginia High 34-6 in Saturday's opening round.

Creasy completed 18-of-22 pass attempts on the day in spite of heavy pressure from Ridgeview, which resulted in five sacks for minus-34 yards. Creasy might have had five touchdown passes, but AyVree Zeigler's 5-yard TD late in the game was off of a Creasy throw that was subsequently judged to be a lateral. Creasy also rushed eight times for 46 yards.

Zeigler was Tazewell's leading rusher with 11 carries for 47 yards.

Wide receiver Logan McDonald, who had a 2-point conversion pass reception in the second quarter and a 15-yard scoring reception late in the third quarter, was a workhorse on the routes for the Bulldogs. He had seven catches for 195 yards.

"We told Carter and Logan, 'You know, you get a home playoff game and you're in front of your home friends and your family. You've got to be great today.' and both of them played very well," said Harris.

The Bulldogs maintained comfortable separation with Brody Patterson's 59-yard scoring reception for the 22-7 lead with 3:56 remaining in the first half. Jaime Rizo, who started the season as a 6-foot-4, 212-pound offensive tackle, added a 66-yard touchdown reception to make it 29-7 after Luke Childress' PAT kick with 2:31 left in the half.

"After the Graham game when Brody was working his way back from injury, we moved [Rizo] to tight end and we just left him there. He's an excellent blocker, he's a good route runner and tight end is probably a natural position for him at the next level," Harris said.

A 42-yard field goal from Connor Smith with less than a minute remaining in the half kept the Wolfpack within 22 points at intermission. Tazewell was still swinging for the fence in the waning seconds of the half, picking up 42 yards on a hook-and-lateral pitched back to Kaizon Taylor from McDonald off a 5-yard out.

"We have Kaizon playing tackle so we came up with a hook-and-lateral for Kaizon as one of our trick plays, hoping we could get him in open space," said Harris.

Taylor, a fearsome tackler, also distinguished himself on the defensive side of the football.

The Bulldogs were in striking distance with just enough time for another TD pass attempt, but Ridgeview successfully fended off that threat.

Ridgeview's offense was paced by quarterback Bentley Brockhoff, who completed 15-of-29 pass attempts for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Brockhoff was replacing veteran starter Ryan O'Quinn, who was sidelined by a head and neck injury incurred during Ridgeview's regular season finale with Gate City.

Collins led the Wolfpack receivers with five catches for 77 yards including his 38-yard pass from Brockhoff in the second quarter that briefly trimmed Tazewell's lead to 16-7. Hayden Baker had had three catches for 51 yards and Mullins had three catches for 22 yards, including his 31-yard TD reception that proved the final score of the game.

Under heavy pressure from Tazewell's front seven Brockhoff gave up two interceptions, both by Tazewell linebacker Brock Alley and both of which were costly.

Alley initiated scoring for Tazewell with a 1-yard TD plunge with 10:53 to go in the second quarter. His 49-yard interception return occured within nine seconds of that opening TD. His 28-yard Pick 6 with 4:29 remaining in the third quarter all but erased any hopes that the Wolfpack had time enough remaining to recover.

"Brock Alley ... a four-year starter here, gets his first two interceptions of his career and houses both of them. And gets a rushing touchdown," said Harris. "Our offensive line and defensive line and our core group all found the end zone today and did a great job."

Ridgeview finished the year at 7-4 overall.

Tazewell 54, Ridgeview 10

at Witten Field-Bulldogs Stadium

Second Quarter

Taz— Brock Alley 1 run (Logan McDonald pass from Carter Creasy)

Taz— Brock Alley 49 interception return (Alley run)

Rv — Luke Collins 38 pass from Bentley Brockhoff (Connor Smith kick)

Taz — Brody Patterson 59 pass from Creasy (pass failed)

Taz— Jaime Rizo 66 pass from Creasy (Luke Childress kick)

Rv — Smith FG 42

Third Quarter

Taz — Walter Patterson 16 pass from Creasy (extra point failed)

Taz— McDonald 15 pass from Creasy (kick failed)

Taz— Alley 28 interception return (run failed)

Fourth Quarter

Rv— Alan Mullins 31 pass from Brockhoff (2-point-conversion succeeded)