WEEK 10: Melrose at Ridgeway

Melrose 6 – Ridgeway 56

Nothing went according to plan for the Melrose Golden Wildcats Friday Night.  The game that was originally set to take place at was Halle Stadium was moved to Kirby High School due to power outages.  The Ridgeway Road Runners scored two touch downs within the first five minutes of the game.  The Melrose Golden Wildcats never recovered  from the early deficit.  The Golden Wildcats are still without Michael Malone and Kendrick Jones.

DaQuan Dallas got the start at quarterback.  His time at the position was cut short when the Golden Wildcats first offensive series resulted in a turnover.  Ahdai Paige comes in at quarterback but his luck isn’t much better against the Ridgeway defense.   The Golden Wildcats didn’t get on the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter.  Melrose had to play most of the game without running back Starsky Miller, who suffered a game ending arm injury.    Miller has been an offensive juggernaut lately, scoring four of Melrose’s five touchdown last week against Bolivar.

During halftime Coach Ford insisted that there was no need for a change  of game plan.  “The game plan we have is working when it’s executed, we just haven’t executed.  They aren’t doing anything that we haven’t worked on in practice over and over again,” says Ford.  Melrose Alum, 1996 first round draft pick, and retired NFL safety Jerome Woods also addressed the team at halftime.  He preached a short ninety second sermon about Orange Mound Pride and what it means to step on the field wearing that Maroon & Gold.  Even though the Golden Wildcats were down 35-0 at the half, Woods assured the team that there was plenty of football left to play.  Due to the 35 point lead by Ridgeway, the 2nd half was played with a running clock which really meant that there wasn’t a lot of football left to play.  In the abbreviated second half the road Runners managed to outscore the Golden Wildcats 21-6.

Next week Melrose travels to South Memphis to take on Hamilton.