Aug 27, 2021 4 min read

MONONGAHELA – The high school football season opened Friday night and Elizabeth Forward pulled out a hard-fought defensive struggle over Ringgold, 12-0, at Joe Montana Stadium.

“We played really hard, and any time you shut out a team, especially a Quad-A team, I am very happy,” said EF coach Mike Collodi. “It is great to see us win these close games with young players.

“They are getting a taste of how to win. We had a bunch of players get thrown into the fire in 90-degree weather tonight and I think they excelled.”

Ringgold coach Darwin Manges was proud of his team’s effort but knows a handful of plays could have led to a Ringgold win.

“A couple of plays here or there and it could have gone either way,” he said. “We missed a couple of assignments and we missed one block on the opening drive where we could have gone the distance.

We fought to the end with our 38 guys, and we saw fight in them.”

The first half consisted of four total drives as both teams went on time-consuming jaunts.

Ringgold (0-1) took the opening kick and moved the ball downfield methodically to the EF 31-yard line and ate 5:59 off the clock. However, the Rams turned the ball over on downs.

EF (1-0) countered with a long drive of its own that lasted the rest of the first quarter and into the second.

After EF took over, it went 69 yards in 14 plays and took a 6-0 lead when DaVontay Brownfield scored on a four-yard run with 10:31 to go in the half.

The extra point was no good and the 6-0 score held into the third quarter, although Ringgold threatened to answer the EF score.

The Rams took the ensuing kick and moved the ball as far as the EF 18-yard line.

However, on fourth-and-13 from the 23, EF freshman linebacker Jace Brown tripped up John Polefko to save a touchdown and force the turnover on downs with 2:26 to go in the half.

It was one of seven times the Warriors held Ringgold on downs.

EF ran out the clock to end the half with the lead.

The Rams gained 91 yards on 24 plays in the first half while the Warriors had 84 yards on 17 plays.

Ringgold kicked off to start the second half, but the kick drilled off an EF player and the Rams recovered.

The EF defense held the Rams and after the teams exchanged field position, Brownfield scored an insurance touchdown as he raced 49 yards to make the score 12-0 with 17 seconds to play in the third quarter.

The teams exchanged scoreless possessions throughout the final quarter.

EF finished with 182 yards of total offense on 37 plays while Ringgold had 162 yards on 47 plays.

Ringgold held the yardage advantage until EF’s last drive when it ran out the clock.

EF’s Kyle Flournoy led all rushers with 80 yards on 10 carries, and Brownfield finished with 72 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.

Ringgold’s balanced rushing attack saw four players run for at least 22 yards with Landon Oslowski leading the way with 37 yards on 13 carries.

Both coaches were impressed with the other team.

“I told the kids after the game that (EF) is the WPIAL AAA runner-up, is well-coached and in a position to do well again this season,” Manges said. “We will correct some things and are going to continue to get better. I like the fight and resolve in our team.”

Collodi is eager to see how Ringgold does this season and in the future.

“Ringgold is really improved,” he said. “They have speed, size and are up and coming as (Manges) is doing a great job with them.

“They did a great job on us defensively and moved the ball on us at times.”