By Cody Thorn
KELLER — After giving up only 7 points in two of its last three games, Denton Ryan finally got its first shutout of the season.
The Raiders’ defense scored a touchdown, and the offense did more than enough in a 52-0 win over Keller Fossil Ridge Thursday at the Keller ISD Athletic Complex.
The first scoring play was from the Arkansas pledge John Caitlin IV. He had a 30-yard interception on the second play from scrimmage by the Panthers, who fell to 1-6, 1-3 in District 3-5A Division I play.
Ryan’s defense set up two more scores in the first half, which ended with the Raiders leading 35-0 and set up a running clock in the second half.
“It’s an expectation,” Ryan linebacker Kade Tolleson said of the shutout. “Through the whole week, we were telling them we want a goose egg. I was saying on the sideline, if you didn’t hear me.”
Tolleson moved to Denton Ryan this past offseason when his dad, Shane, was hired as the team’s head coach. He entered the game with 43 tackles and 3 sacks, but was not sure if he would be on the field. The North Texas pledge said a leg injury slowed him down, but he was glad he was able to play.
He did so with Bradley Dale Peveto, North Texas’ Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, in attendance.
Ryan was up 14-0 when Fossil Ridge got a turnover of its own, as Caleb Woodard recovered a fumble at the Ryan 41-yard line. The Panthers got down to the 9-yard line, but couldn’t score. An incomplete pass on 4th down gave the Raiders the ball at the 12-yard line.
On the next play, quarterback R’Mani Benjamin ran for an 88-yard touchdown.
Malik Henderson added the first of his two scores on the next drive for Denton.
A fumble by Fossil Ridge was picked up by Tyson Anderson at the Panthers’ 16-yard line. On the first offensive play, Rontavian Brown ran for a 16-yard touchdown and boosted the lead to 35-0.
“I’m just so proud of my teammates,” Tolleson said.
Up 38-0, Denton got the ball only three times in the second half thanks to the quick-moving clock. The Raiders scored on two of those drives and the third came up 2 yards short on 4th down with the JV team getting snaps.
Henderson and Brylon Moody added rushing touchdowns for the Raiders.
This was the second week in a row the Raiders posted 52 points.
Ryan improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in district play. The Raiders have beaten Saginaw, Sherman, Denton, Haslet V.R. Eaton and received a forfeit win over Lewisville. The only setback was a 35-30 loss to undefeated Mansfield Timberview in Week 2.
Every other team in the district has at least one loss, or in the case of Saginaw, no wins in district play.
“Our goal is, starting off the year, obviously going undefeated. That didn’t go our way,” Coach Tolleson said. “But the big goal is to win the first game in district. The second goal was to beat Denton High. And the third goal is to win a district championship. The fourth goal is to play on Thanksgiving. And the fifth goal is to win in December. So we’re on our way there. I think the last time we won a district championship was 4 years ago. So that’s a goal of our kids.”
Ryan is idle next week, closing with Azle on Oct. 29 and then playing at Fort Worth Chisholm Trail on Nov. 6.
