Lexington pounds 9th ranked Ashley Ridge 28-7

THOMAS GRANT JR.
chroniclesports@yahoo.com
Posted 9/18/21

Saturday games against ranked opponents have proven to work in the Lexington High School football team's favor this season. The Wildcats defeated 9th ranked Ashley Ridge 28-7 for their 3rd straight …

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Lexington pounds 9th ranked Ashley Ridge 28-7

Posted

Saturday games against ranked opponents have proven to work in the Lexington High School football team's favor this season.
The Wildcats defeated 9th ranked Ashley Ridge 28-7 for their 3rd straight victory. 
Just 2 weeks after a 14-12 victory at Class 3A ranked Gilbert, also on a Saturday, Lexington (3-1)put forth a similar winning effort against the visiting Swamp Foxes with a punishing running game and stifling defense which forced 5 turnovers and allowed just 112 total yards. 
"We 2-0, we've played 2 great Saturday games," Lexington head coach Perry Woolbright said. "Our kids have done a good job. We've got a good adjustment. You never know what's going to happen during the week. You never know who's going to play in a game. You never know what day you're going to play. So our guys have done a good job of blocking all that stuff out.
"Ashley Ridge is a playoff-type time. If we're fortunate enought to make the playoffs, that's the type of team we're going to see. Our kids came out and played well. Defense really did a good job playing today, really playing assignment football and not giving up any big plays at all."
Jonah Norris led the offense with a career-best 154 yards and accounted for all 4 Lexington touchdowns. On defense, cornerback Blake Smith earned his "chain" with 3 2nd half interceptions. 
A 24-yard punt return from midfield by Kamadi Maxwell set up Norris' 1st touchdown run from 3 yards in the 1st quarter. On Lexington's next series, Taiden Mines completed a 28-yard pass to Christian Garland to the Ashley Ridge 8.
This set up Norris' 7-yard touchdown run with 10:13 left in the 2nd quarter.
Ashley Ridge's next series ended with an interception by Chris Frye. Lexington could not capitalize as it missed a field goal and score remained 14-0. 
The 2nd half opened with a 10-play, 47-yard scoring drive by Lexington capped by Norris' 2-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0. 
The next 3 possessions by both teams ended with turnovers. Cameron Sutton forced a fumble recovered by Lexington's Jacob Schrodt, the Swamp Foxes' forced a fumble after a hit on Mines to regain the football and Smith answered back with his 1st interception with 1:55 left in the 3rd quarter.
A mishandled punt by Lexington gave Ashley Ridge (2-1) a scoring opportunity at the 11-yard line. It took 2 plays before Cordell Gaston scored from 7 yards to make it 21-7. 
The Wildcats' next series ended with a Norris fumble recovered by Derrick Gaillard at the Lexington 37 with 9:50 left. Smith quickly ended the drive by stepping in fron tof Xavier Proctor-Floyd's pass for his 2nd interception. 
Smith ended Ashley Ridge's next scoring drive by breaking up a 4th down pass by Proctor-Floyd from his own 29. This set up Norris' final touchdown run from 23 yards with 4:25 left. 
"It's fun because it's my 1st year of varsity," Norris said. "The line does so much. I couldn't do anything without them. But, it's fun. It's tough. You get a little bumps and bruises, but you've got to fight right through it."
Smith then sealed the win with his 3rd interception with 2:32 left. As he walked towards the sideline, the team wrapped a symbolic "chain" around his neck for his efforts.
"The preparation we had in the film room and in practice, it was close to the point where I knew what they were going to do before they know what they were going to do," Smith said. "And it was just easy to tell what they were doing, their eyes, how they move. Easy to tell what they were doing and easy for me for me to just adapt and make interceptions."
Lexington returns home Friday to face Irmo in the Hall of Fame game. It's the final non-region contest for the Wildcats, who trail the all-time series with the Yellow Jackets. 
 

lexington, Smith, Norris, Woolbright

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