Last year, Pisgah’s Don Ragsdale ran roughshod over opposing defenses as he rushed for a state-leading 3,081 yards and 38 touchdowns.
In the process, he led Pisgah to a 9-3 record and included in that total was a 45-13 win over Lake where Ragsdale had 215 yards and four touchdowns.
And first-year coach Tate Hanna wasn’t looking forward to facing one of the state’s best running backs.
“I was talking with the coach and just sort of joking around with him that he could sit him out if he wanted,” Hanna said. “Then he told me that the Ragsdale kid is out for the week. I didn’t have a clue until I talked to him. He’s already had some big games. He’s a special kid and you hate that for the kid.”
Ragsdale was off to another good start as he led Pisgah to a pair of wins, beating Hartifeld 23-0 and Richalnd 51-35. Ragsdale had 418 yards on 34 carries against Richland and 198 yards on 18 carries against Hartfield.
“When you are in small-town football and you lose your best player, that’s a bad shot to take,” Hanna said. “They still have a lot of guys returning and are still pretty sound. I don’t know what they’ve done since they lost him. But I know when you have a player like that, it changes everything. He played everything for them, was on every special team. He was a special player.”
Choctaw Central at Newton
The Tigers will put their undefeated record on the line on Thursday night when they host Choctaw Central.
After a strong showing against Sebastopol in their pre-season jamboree, the Warriors have struggled in their first three contests, losing all three. They lost to Union 32-10 in the season opener and then fell 49-31 to Cherokee, N.C. in the Battle of the Nations in week two. In week three, Choctaw County blanked the Warriors 49-0.
“They are big and athletic,” Newton coach Ryan Smith said. “They like to throw the ball down the field and have a quarterback that can sling it and some receivers that can go get it. We will have to be good in the secondary this week.”
The two teams did not play last year.
Newton County at Southeast Lauderdale
The Cougars will try to get their first win of the year on the road this week as they travel to Southeast Lauderdale.
The Tigers are 2-1 on the season and are coming off a 14-7 loss to Northeast Lauderdale last week. The Tigers opened the season with a pair of close wins, beating Quitman 10-7 and Heidelberg 31-29.
“They are athletic and always seem to manage to have a receiver or two that can go catch the ball,” County coach Gene Mitchell said. “And they always have a quarterback that can get the ball to him. This year, more so than in the past, they are playing pretty good on both sides of the football. I’m sure they will be on edge after losing in overtime last week. But right now, it’s not so much about Southeast as it is about getting us fixed right now. We will keep on pounding and grinding.”
Last year, the Tigers took a 20-9 win and finished the season with a 6-6 record and made it the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Carroll Academy at NCA
The Generals will face another tough test this week when they host undefeated Carroll Academy.
Carroll is off to a 3-0 start and has given up only 13 points in three contests. They beat Desoto 34-7 in the opener before shutting out Lee, Ark. 20-0. Last week, they beat Class AAA Krik 14-6.
“They are undefeated and beat Kirk this past week,” Roberts said. “I don’t really know much about them except they are undefeated. We’ve never played them before.
