Non-league football: La Center 35, Ridgefield 28

Sophomore Bryten Schmitz’s 13-yard touchdown run with 1:21 remaining was the game-winning score as La Center scored 21 unanswered points to rally past visiting Ridgefield in the season opener for both teams.

Schmitz picked up 55 of his 92 yards rushing on the game-winning drive on four carries. Junior quarterback Tom Lambert paced the Wildcats with 145 yards on the ground and 114 through the air and accounted for four touchdowns, three rushing and one passing.

Andrew Scott hauled in six passes for 134 yards from three different players – Lambert, Schmitz and Jeremy Humphrey.

The Spudders took an early lead behind seniors Hunter Abrams and Trey Knight. Abrams opened the scoring with a 44-yard run just a minute and a half into the game, and Knight made a juggling catch for a 34-yard touchdown.

Both Abrams and Knight would also score on fumble recoveries…Abrams finding paydirt from 30 yards out and Knight going 92 yards for a touchdown to close the first half, giving Ridgefield a 28-14 lead at halftime.

Luke Price threw for 152 yards for the Spudders, who host King’s Way next week. La Center travels to Woodland.

LA CENTER 35, RIDGEFIELD 28

Ridgefield 7 21 0 0–28

La Center 7 7 7 14–35

First quarter

R — Hunter Abrams 44 run (Matthew Torres kick)

LC — Micah Adams 23 pass from Tom Lambert (Sean Fox kick)

Second quarter

R — Trey Knight 34 pass from Luke Price (Torres kick)

LC — Lambert 10 run (Fox kick)

R — Abrams 30 fumble return (Torres kick)

R — Knight 92 fumble return (Torres kick)

Third quarter

LC — Lambert 3 run (Fox kick)

Fourth quarter

LC — Lambert 4 run (Fox kick)

LC — Bryten Schmitz 13 run (Fox kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Ridgefield: Abrams 10-68, Price 5-3, Tanner Roberts 1 – (-8). La Center: Lambert 25-145, Nic Budke 10-30, Schmitz 9-92, Irving Alvarez 1-7.

PASSING — Ridgefield: Price 14-25-152-1. La Center: Lambert 9-12-114-1, Jeremy Humphrey 1-1-46, Schmitz 1-1-27.

RECEIVING — Ridgefield: Spencer Harmon 3-27, Aidan Hund 3-30, Ryan Jenkins 4-50, Trey Knight 1-34, Abrams 2-5. La Center: Adams 1-23, Andrew Scott 6-134, Schmitz 1-14, Humphrey 2-10, Andrew Kysar 1-6.