Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Football: Ravenwood reaches quarterfinals by handing Collierville first loss

Football: Ravenwood reaches quarterfinals by handing Collierville first loss
Posted: Nov 14, 2021

COLLIERVILLE – The Ravenwood High School football team dispatched a Memphis-area opponent for the second consecutive week to advance to the Class 6A quarterfinals and earn another shot at unbeaten Summit.

The Raptors overcame several turnovers and quieted Collierville to hand the Dragons their first loss Friday with a 32-22 road victory in the second round of the playoffs.

"It was team effort and the defense has just continued to get better and better for us," Ravenwood coach Will Hester said. "The fact that we get to practice another week and play another week and earn our right to face Summit agin, it means a lot."

 

Chris Parson ran for 127 yards and a touchdown and threw for 129 more with two more TDs to pace Ravenwood, which rolled up more than 430 yards of offense against a team that allowed more than two touchdowns for the first time this season. Collierville, boasting its best record in 40 years, entered averaging more than 40 points with a defense that allowed a season-high 14 points just two weeks ago.

Carter Pace added 186 yards rushing for Ravenwood, while linebacker Drake Stollenwork turned a momentum-swinging blocked field goal into a touchdown return early on.

Hester credited his defense for holding strong all night, highlighting Myles Pollard for making several big plays and JT Smitherman for consistently pressuring the Collierville quarterback.

 

"I just can't say enough about them," Hester said of his defense.

 

Troy Martin rushed for 102 yards on 16 carries for Collierville (11-1), while Tyler Collier scored both Dragon touchdowns with a 12-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter and 2-yard scamper in the second.

Ravenwood will travel to Summit for the second time this season next week with a state semifinal berth up for grabs. The Raptors, who sit at 10-2 overall, suffered a 49-28 defeat in Spring Hill on Oct. 1.

"If anything, we get to go down there and get some of that taste out of our mouth," Hester said. "Maybe they aren't 20 points better than us. We want to prove that we are a good football team as well."