Storm Lake Times Pilot

Ridge View sees its season end in 45-20 loss to No. 9 West Sioux


Ridge View’s Earnie Clayton tries to elude a tackle during last Friday’s playoff game against West Sioux in Hawarden. Photos by Katie Anderson, N’West Iowa Review

West Sioux scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions in the first half and then scored on the first two drives of the second half as the Falcons pulled away to a 45-20 win over Ridge View in the second round of the Class 1A football playoffs last Friday night in Hawarden.

The Falcons fumbled on their first possession of the game, but then reeled off four straight scoring drives, which included on touchdown in the first quarter and three in the second for a 28-14 halftime lead.

The Falcons scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the third quarter to make it a 45-20 game.

Quarterback Dylan Wiggins threw three touchdown passes in the first half. He hooked up with Carter Bultman from 16 yards out to make it 7-0.

Ridge View tied the game at 7-7 when quarterback Cade Harriman ran it in from 1 yard out. The extra point made it  7-7.

The Falcons outscored the Raptors 21-7 in the second quarter. Wiggins threw an 18-yard TD pass to Blake Lynott and Bultman found Conner Van Ballegooyen for a 3-yard touchdown pass for a 21-7 lead.

Ridge View’s Brody Deitering returned the enduing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. The PAT cut it to 21-14.

West Sioux made it 28-14 before halftime when Wiggins connected with Lynott for a 3-yard touchdown pass.

Bultman scampered 60 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and later would add a 67-yard touchdown jaunt for a 42-14 lead.

Ridge View’s Brody Deitering returns a kickoff during last Friday’s second round playoff game against West Sioux.

Ridge View pulled to within 42-20 in the third quarter when Harriman threw a 13-yard pass to Tracin Price, who lateraled the ball to Earnie Clayton for a touchdown. The extra point was no good.

West Sioux’s Noel Lopez kicked a 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter to put the Falcons up 45-20.

Ridge View finished with 294 yards of total offense, including 212 rushing. Harriman led the way with 94 yards on 18 carries. Clayton added 73 yards on 11 carries and Deitering had 39 yards on 10 carries.

Harriman was 6 of 19 passing for 82 yards. Cael Myrtue had one catch for 32 yards and Tyhler Kolpin added one catch for 19 yards.

Deitering led the Raptors on defense with seven total tackles. Kolpin had six, and Harriman and Clayton each tallied five stops. Price, Aiden Martin and Brady Clausen all added four tackles. Kolton Luscombe recovered a fumble and Kolpin intercepted a pass.

“I was really proud of my team because we came ready to play this time,” Ridge View coach Dale Tokheim said. “The last time we played West Sioux I felt like we gave up, but this time we played with intensity, passion and heart from the beginning to the end. I thought we matched their physicality and we made them earn everything. The game was closer than the final score indicated because we did have two or three more chances to score, but came up short. They kept their starters in until the end and it wasn’t until the 3-minute mark that everyone realized for sure that they were going to win. We gave the ball up on our side of the field on downs and they kept trying to score and our defense fought until the end.

“In the end, we just made too many mistakes and you just can’t do that against a great team like West Sioux,” Tokheim added. “We gave them a short field several times and we had a couple of interceptions that ended some good drives.”

“It was a great effort by everyone,” Tokheim continued. “I am extremely proud of the way we played. We will miss these seniors tremendously. They have put so much time and energy into the offseason and are the main reason for our success the last two seasons.”