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Ridgewood 34, Tarpon Springs 28

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 19, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - As he jumped up and down just outside the Tarpon Springs 5-yard line, one of Ridgewood safety Frankie Downey's teammates grabbed him by the helmet and yelled, 'I love you, Frankie!'

Certainly, there wasn't a more loved Ram at that moment Thursday night; seconds after Downey's interception near midfield during a tie game doused the Spongers' potential winning drive with less than a minute left on the clock.

The Rams turned Downey's gift into the touchdown with 41.8 seconds left that won it for Ridgewood 34-28, allowing them to avenge last season's last-second loss to the Spongers and remain undefeated.

'Everything was scattered,' Downey said. 'Everything was just everywhere, you know, last seconds of the game, tied 28-28, everything was everywhere. I was just trying to watch the whole field. I saw the quarterback drop back and I just tried to watch him, watch his eyes. I made a good break on it and wherever he threw it, my corner Addias Tolliver got a good break on it and he tipped it and it just landed right in my hands.'

There was still time for Tarpon Springs, but Jimmy Mattos put the exclamation mark on the game with a sack as time ran out.

Ridgewood scored first with 2:34 left in the first quarter when running back Byronell Arline ran in for an 8-yard score. Arline finished the game with 28 carries for 180 yards and three TDs.

On the Rams' next drive, T.J. Haab completed a 31-yard pass to fullback Barry Johnsonbaugh, and Johnsonbaugh scored on a 1-yard run.

Then Tarpon Springs put together a six-play 76-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown run from Ladarrius Only.

The Rams went three-and-out, and on the first play of Tarpon's next drive, Danny Reyes threw a pass up for Harolambas Vavlas, who grabbed it and ran 72 yards to tie it with 3:42 left in the half.

Tarpon took the lead on the first drive of the second half with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Reyes to Richard Austin Seifried, and then Ridgewood came right back with Arline's one-yard touchdown that tied it again at 21.

As time seemed to melt off the clock, Ridgewood put together another touchdown drive that Arline capped with his third score of the night giving the Rams the lead with 10 minutes left in the game.

On the ensuing drive, Only fumbled the kickoff and was downed at the Tarpon 10-yard line. He responded with an 85-yard run that led to Donnel Ingram's 5-yard touchdown on the next play.

'That's a heck of a win for Ridgewood High School,' Rams coach Chris Taylor. 'We came to Tarpon's field and put together a team effort.'

R - Johnsonbaugh 1 run (Koon kick)

T - Only 30 run (Koon kick)

T - Vavlas 72 pass from Reyes (Sharpie kick)

T - Bowie 17 pass from Reyes (Sharpie kick)

R - Arline 1 run (Koon kick)

R - Arline 1 run (Koon kick)

T - Ingram 5 run (Sharpie kick)

R - Haab 1 run (kick failed)

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