Ridge wins after feverish comeback

Things looked bleak early on for the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions. Down 17-0 to Pinnacle after one quarter, they faced a huge deficit against a tough opponent. But Mountain Ridge was up to the task, riding a spectacular performance from quarterback Kevin Yost to a 35-31 victory.

"That's why you always have to believe," said Mountain Ridge Head Coach Bobby Green. "You are never out of it until that final whistle blows. I'm so proud of my boys and my coaching staff tonight. They really hung in there and gutted this one out."

Green said the secret to the victory was no secret at all. When the offense had trouble moving the ball in the first quarter, Green said, they simply started relying on the short passing game.

"We just started focusing on taking what they were giving us, it was as simple as that," Green said. "Give credit to Kevin Yost, too; he did a masterful job. He just picked them apart."

Yost, who began the game with four incomplete passes, finished 22-30 for 294 yards and four touchdown passes. Yost and wide receiver Cody Wollschlager took over the second half, but Green told his squad after the game it was not just those two who won it for them.

"Give them a ton of credit, but this was a total team effort," Green said. "It took every one of you guys to get back in this one."

After the first quarter, Mountain Ridge (3-1) outscored Pinnacle (2-2) 35-14, a figure Green said is a tribute to his offense.

"Sometimes part of your team is going to have a difficult game, and tonight, the defense struggled," Green said. "But the offense did what you're supposed to do in that situation and they picked them up. They carried us tonight, no doubt about it."

The Mountain Lions will hit the road next week to take on Tolleson (1-2).