RINGGOLD, Ga. -- When the clock reached zero Friday night at Jeff Sims Field, the final numbers didn't quite add up to the final score.
Visiting Ringgold walked away with a 21-16 win at Catoosa County rival Heritage in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 despite being outgained by nearly 300 yards, completing just two passes and committing 13 penalties.
The resilient 3-0 Tigers -- head coach Austin Crisp prefers the term "gritty" for his GHSA Class AA team -- made big plays when they had to and got huge defensive performances from a trio of players to overcome the statistical disadvantage against their Class AAA hosts.
The Ringgold defense, despite allowing 423 total yards, stood up with a stop inside the red zone in the final minute to secure the win.
"That stop right there at the end showed the amount of grit we have," said Crisp, pausing a moment to gather his thoughts. "These kids are not the biggest, strongest or fastest, but we are the toughest."
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night's Chattanooga-area prep football games)
Photo GalleryRinggold vs. Heritage on Aug. 29, 2025
The Tigers forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. The first of those was returned all the way by senior Haddon Fries, who sniffed out a third-down screen pass, stepped in front of the receiver and raced 50 yards to give Ringgold a 6-3 lead.
Moments later, after Caden Hight hit Brayden Stoker with a 42-yard bomb to the Ringgold 38, sophomore Bo Green got the first of his two picks in front of Stoker to end that threat.
Later in the half, the Generals (2-1) drove to the Ringgold 12, but Texas-committed kicker Jake Collett was wide right on a 29-yard field-goal attempt. They also couldn't take advantage of a Ringgold fumble at the 19 in the final two minutes as Green snagged his second interception.
The Tigers led 6-3 with only 14 yards of total offense compared to 82 yards in penalties.
"That first half," Crisp said with a shake of his head, "was the worst offensive performance I've ever been a part of, but we were still in it."
Heritage, which dominated on the ground in the opening half as Brayden Slaughter had 108 of his 137 rushing yards, crossed up the Tigers after Caden Foster's interception ended Ringgold's first drive.
Hight was 4-for-5 passing on a 10-play, 76-yard drive, including a 17-yard hookup with Cody Bryan to the 19 on third-and-5. Slaughter did the rest, scoring on a 9-yard run to make it 10-6.
Ringgold answered with its best drive of the night, going 80 yards in eight plays to retake the lead. Included was Zach Grower's 40-yard pass to Eli Pursley to the Heritage 22. After Jeremiah Frost's run moved the Tigers to the 13 on the final play of the third quarter, backfield mate Fries scored on a 10-yard run two plays later.
Fries then made his second big defensive play of the night with a big hit on Slaughter, causing a fumble that was recovered at the Heritage 23. After a short gain by Frost, the 6-3, 215-pound Grower had runs of 6 yards, 13 yards and 1 yard to suddenly push the Ringgold lead to 21-10.
"That sequence was what I mean when I say we are gritty," Crisp said. "We didn't really change anything at the half. We just executed better, and when your quarterback wants the ball in that situation, you let him have it."
Heritage, though, quickly went to the air to rally, with Hight hitting back-to-back passes of 38 yards to Cohen Fletcher and 36 to Bryan, setting up Slaughter's 5-yard run that made it 21-16 with 7:22 left.
The Generals got the ball back with less than five minutes to play and moved inside the 20, but Fries and Darryl Moore, who finished with five tackles for loss, took turns throwing Slaughter for losses. On fourth-and-14 from the 15, Hight lofted a pass to Stoker, who went high to catch it but came down just out of bounds to end the final threat.
Frost rushed for 51 yards for Ringgold, which had piled up more than 500 yards on the ground in its first two games.
Hight passed for 279 yards and Bryan had eight catches for 131 yards for Heritage.
Contact Lindsey Young at [email protected].