By Thomas Grant Jr.
The Bojangles Ridge View Classic is not just the newest Northeast sporting event.
For the host team Blazers, it’s also their regular-season opener.
Disagreements over a rescheduling date resulted in the cancellation of last week’s game at South Pointe. It was supposed to be the first of three straight games for the Blazers against defending state champions.
Instead of opening against the defending Class 4A champions, Ridge View will now play host to the reigning dynasty in its classification. Dutch Fork is seeking a second ‘5-peat’ and their 11th Class 5A title in 12 years under head coach Tom Knotts.
The Blazers trail the all-time series 5-7 with the Silver Foxes having won the last two meetings. Last year’s game saw Ridge View take a 21-14 lead in the second half, only for Dutch Fork to rally back for the 28-21 win.
Wide receiver Khristian Jackson suffered a shoulder injury in the game. He’s back in action along with quarterback Tre Howard who suffered a season-ending foot injury in the previous game.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach (Derek Howard) and his players,” Knotts said. “He’s got very athletic players. They’ve got some big solid players, some nice linebackers. They’ve got a good program.
“But we worry about Dutch Fork and hopefully, take care of business when we get out there.”
