From Staff Reports
RIDGELEY, W.Va. — The Ridgely Rams earned their way into the Division I semifinals of the Cumberland Area Youth Football League by beating Oakland last weekend by a final of 26-0.
The Rams (7-1) will now face the Keyser Steelers today at Keyser High School, at 4 p.m. The Knippenberg Insurance Warriors and the Personal Best/Hartley’s Pizza Patriots will play in the other semifinals today at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
Brady Watson rushed for 81 yards on seven carries and got 65 of those on a touchdown run in the third quarter. Cole Smith, who ran for the first Ridgeley touchdown and threw for the second, was the team’s leading rusher with 84 yards on five carries.
Smith scored a 40-yard run, and then threw a 20-yard pass to Gage Shaffer. Jonathan Hedrick scored the final Rams touchdown with a 3-yard run in the third.
Smith was also busy on defense with six tackles, a interception and a fumble recovery. Shaffer and Tyler Crock also had interceptions, and Chris Peck added a fumble recovery for a total of five Oakland turnovers.
Division II
Ridgeley 12
Knippenberg Ins. 6
Kirk Robinette scored the deciding touchdown in the fourth quarter to send Ridgely to its second win of the season and into the semifinals by beating the Warriors.
The teams played a scoreless first half before each team scored in the third quarter. The Rams scored first when Curtis Rinehart broke the plane from three yards out. The Warriors struck back when Blake Milburn took off on a 48-yard run later in the third.
Robinette’s run in the fourth made the difference in the final score.
Ridgley (2-6) will play at Keyser today at 2 p.m.
Patriots 7
Northern 0
Tyler Sponaugle’s 20-yard run provided the only points of the afternoon to send the Patriots past the Steelers in a low-scoring affair at Allegany College last weekend.
Devin Ratcliff recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter that sealed the outcome. Kris Jackson added an interception, and Matt Green forced a fumble. Malek Redman was also credited with an outstanding defensive effort.
Meshach Metz, Zach Hare and Trevon Jones all excelled on defense for Northern.
