Ririe grinds out win over West Jefferson to remain unbeaten on the season

RIRIE – There can be only one.

Ririe cemented itself as the lone unbeaten 3A team in the state with an impressive 42-28 win Friday night over previously unbeaten West Jefferson.

On paper, the matchup was supposed to be a showcase of two power teams who can light up a scoreboard with their running game, and also shut it down on the defensive side.

On the field, only part of that actually worked out.

“Once they settled down and they decided to play football they were really good,” Ririe coach Josh Huntsman said after an entertaining first half that opened with three long scoring drives that should have put the Bulldogs in control, but that wasn’t the case.

West Jefferson’s dynamic runner Justus Burtenshaw busted loose for a 63-yard touchdown run on the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage.

It turned out to be West Jefferson’s only play of the first quarter as the Bulldogs put together another long drive that ran into the second quarter and resulted in a touchdown run by Ririe’s own dynamic runner Kolter Lewis.

As if on cue, the Panthers’ Burtenshaw took the handoff on the first play of West Jefferson’s next possession and sprinted 58-yards for another touchdown.

Just two plays in and two spectacular touchdown runs for the Panthers tied the game early in the second quarter.

Huntsman noted the team was undisciplined early and the Panthers capitalized.

Ririe (7-0, 2-0) responded with a 77-yard drive that ate up much of the second quarter and was capped by another rushing score from Lewis.

Leading 20-14 late in the quarter, it was ironically a pass that may have turned the game in Ririe’s favor as Breylon Moon connected with Lewis for a 50-yard touchdown pass with 47 seconds left in the half.

West Jefferson (5-1, 0-1) would close the gap to 28-21 on a one-yard TD run by quarterback Ryker Burtenshaw late in the third, but the Panthers would get no closer.

Ririe added another passing touchdown when Moon hit Cooper Brown for a 16-yard score in the fourth quarter.

“We knew the best thing to do was just go hit someone,” right guard Cooper Huntsman said of the team’s preparation.

Right tackle Logan Trimble said the team’s work in the weight room has paid off at the line of scrimmage.

The Bulldogs finished with 322 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Lewis tallied 196 yards on the ground with three scores and the one receiving touchdown. West Jefferson entered with the top scoring defense in 3A at 8.20 points.

West Jefferson’s Justus Burtenshaw finished with 171 yards but was held relatively in check after the two long touchdown runs.

“It’s fun watching this conference,” said coach Huntsman. “It’s going to be a race to see who gets better, faster.”

Ririe has a bye next week before facing North Fremont in another crucial Nuclear Conference game.

West Jefferson hosts Salmon next week.