Smoky Mountain’s Matthew Ridley (19).
Someone told Smoky Mountain football coach Chris Brookshire that Friday’s crowd at Hooper Stadium was the biggest in school history.
Matt Ridley and the Mustangs sent those fans home happy.
Ridley carried the ball 27 times for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-19 win over visiting Swain County.
Cole Hooper threw for 94 yards and hit Tristen Kenyon with a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 to go in the third quarter. Friday was the first game on Smoky Mountain’s $915,000 organic artificial turf field. And it came down to the wire, Smoky Mountain had to stuff a potential tying two-point conversion attempt from the Maroon Devils (0-2) with one second to go.
The Mustangs and first-year coach Chris Brookshire are now 2-0 for the first time since 2007.
“The kids were fired-up all night and I’m real proud of the entire team’s effort,” Brookshire said.
“We put our defense in a bunch of bad situations and they played lights-out. (Ridley) had a great night and he’d be the first one to say he didn’t do it alone. The offensive line, tight ends and wideouts blocked their tails off for him. When you’re not getting touched 3-4 yards after you cross (the line of scrimmage), you’re getting some great blocking.”
Hooper’s capacity is approximately 6,000. Brookshire said that school officials did not yet have a count of how many tickets were sold Friday.
Smoky Mountain travels to Enka (0-2) next week.
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