Madness continues into state for Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD — Like a number of Ridgefield teammates playing their first year of football for the Spudders, Josh Mansur craved the madness.

Even if he chose to turn out for football after the season began.

“The first game,” Mansur said, “I was in the stands. … Even though I hadn’t played, I knew it was going to be a fun time.”

He’s right. And the Spudders are having fun, too. In a season filled with new names on the roster and a first-year coaching staff, Ridgefield (6-4 overall) is in the Class 2A state playoffs after beating Aberdeen 49-6 on Saturday. It hasn’t reached this stage since 2005, and like all state-bound teams, the Spudders will learn their state seed Sunday by the WIAA’s state seeding committee.

Mansur, a senior receiver, came up big, too, as one of a number of players who made big plays against the Bobcats, who ended their season 3-7. The senior had two catches, including one for a 30-yard score plus an interception.

For Mansur, he’s living the dream.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “The coaches encourage me, learning all the new plays even if I mess up a little. It’s been really good.”

Ridgefield was good Saturday from the start in a game that took a swift 2 hours to play. Hunter Abrams rushed for four touchdowns and a team-high 142 yards as part of the team’s nearly 300 rushing yards.

The first half, though, felt like old-school football with both teams using its ground game to eat up clock. Ridgefield and Aberdeen attempted one pass apiece in the first half, and 50 of 52 offensive plays came on the ground.

Ridgefield showed some new looks, too, using a two-back system at times with senior Trey night serving as fullback. He had the game’s longest play of the night — a 38-yard run — that set up the second of four Abrams scores.

Aberdeen’s lone touchdown ate 6 minutes, 45 seconds off the clock on 14 plays. Ethan Morrill (158 yards rushing) capped the drive with his 8-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 14-6.

After that, it was all Ridgefield.

Abrams pounded out his fourth touchdown on a 1-yard run on a 91-second third-quarter scoring drive to serve as the first of four unanswered scores by the Spudders. The play was set up by quarterback Luke Price, a Seton Catholic transfer, hitting back-to-back completions to Spenser Harmon and Matthew Torres. Price finished 5 of 11 passing for 125 yards. Tanner Roberts and Sam Everett also had fourth-quarter rushing scores.

For a program that won four total games the past two seasons and hadn’t sniffed the playoffs in four years, it’s a long time coming for players like Torres, who’s been in the program for three years.

“Winning two games, three games to now doing this,” the senior said, “all of this is absolutely amazing. We have a great community behind us a bunch of new coaches that are amazing. It’s a different attitude walking into school on Fridays.”

RIDGEFIELD 49, ABERDEEN 6

Aberdeen 0 6 0 0–6

Ridgefield 7 13 15 14–49

First quarter

R — Hunter Abrams 1 run (Matthew Torres kick)

Second quarter

R — Abrams 4 run (Torres kick)

A — Ethan Morrill 8 run (pass failed)

R — Abrams 2 run (kick failed)

Third quarter

R — Abrams 1 run (Torres kick)

R — Josh Mansur 30 pass from Luke Price (Trey Knight pass from Parker Bondegard)

Fourth quarter

R — Sam Everett 1 run (Bondegard kick)

R — Tanner Roberts 2 run (Bondegard kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Aberdeen: Ethan Morrill 24-158, Dylan Richie 14-111, Connar Sherman 8-26, Cody Bemis 2-1, Giovani Pisani 1-(minus-5). Ridgefield: Hunter Abrams 18-142, Trey Knight 5-84, Tanner Roberts 8-38, Luke Price 5-34, Sam Everett 4-14.

PASSING — Aberdeen: Cody Bemis 4-6-0-16; Connar Sherman 0-2-1-0. Ridgefield: Luke Price 5-11-0-125.

RECEIVING — Aberdeen: Ethan Morrill 1-(minus-3), Alex Neeley 1-19. Ridgefield: Josh Mansur 2-56, Clay Madsen 1-26, Spenser Harmon 1-26, Matthew Torres 1-21.