No. 4 Ritchie County 34, No. 5 Mount View 6
By Jay Bennett, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
ELLENBORO — No. 5 Mount View failed to take advantage of early opportunities and watched a 6-6 game at the half turn into a 34-6 setback, falling to No. 4 Ritchie County Saturday afternoon in a Class A state quarterfinal at Chuck Schofield Memorial Stadium.
The Rebels lost fullback Brandon Riddle to an ankle injury early in the first quarter, but Seth Hardy came through with career-highs of 20 rushes and 142 yards.
On its first trio of drives, Mount View (10-2) had possession on a first-and-goal at the 2, first-and-goal at the 5 and also first-and-10 at the RCHS 18, but came up empty each time.
Ritchie County got on the board following the second goal line stand. Marlon Moore had an acrobatic, juggling 35-yard grab from Ethan Haught, who hit Hardy out of the backfield for an 18-yard TD strike with 7:29 left in the half.
The Golden Knights responded before the break when signal-caller Ryan Long, who went 22 of 39 for 205 yards, connected on four straight passes. The final trio went to Tony Bailey, which included a leaping 14-yard touchdown catch with no time on the clock. Jonathan Huff’s extra point drilled the top of the left upright.
Ritchie County scored on its first four possession of the second half. Hardy started it with a 1-yard plunge. Gus Morrison, who toted 16 times for 106 yards, added a pair of 1-yard rushing TDs. He also capped the scoring at 4:51 of the fourth via a 37-yard TD catch from Haught.
Mount View, which trailed 173 to 107 in total yards at intermission, ended up allowing 464 and produced 237.
Bailey led the visitors with game-highs of six receptions for 101 yards.
Class A state quarterfinal at Chuck Schofield Memorial Stadium
Next game: Wheeling Central vs. Ritchie County, TBD, in state semifinals.
