The Battle Ground Tigers began their first game with heavy hearts, but later hearts fulfilled with a 24-17 win over the Ridgefield Spudders on Friday, Sept. 4.
On the first play of the game, a penalty was called for too many players on the field, with the 12th Tiger being No. 18, the late Trent Richardson, a 2026 Battle Ground graduate who recently passed away in a tragic accident at a local park. Richardson’s parents were escorted onto the field, receiving the game ball and a standing ovation from the crowd after the first play of the game.
After the win, Battle Ground head coach Mike Woodward said the win showed flashes of what his team can become, while also exposing areas that need to be cleaned up.
“Ridgefield was really tough,” Woodward said. “But I think our kids, in the end, showed some pretty good poise and hung around and didn't panic.”
Woodward said the Tigers’ defense stood out, but mistakes on offense and special teams kept the team from playing a cleaner game.
“We just couldn't get out of our own way. … And made some mistakes,” he said. “Defense was outstanding, but special teams and offense, there's just stuff to clean up. I mean, we've got to watch the film and kind of see exactly what it is, but there's bits and pieces. The good news is, it's fixable.”
One of the players who drew particular praise from Woodward was Miles Skov, who Woodward said leads by example as a quiet leader. Skov led the Tiger offense with over 200 rushing yards, added a touchdown and two-point conversion to the standout night, as well.
“He doesn't say a word, ever, so he leads by example,” Woodward said of Skov. “He's a rugby player, and you can tell by the way that he tackles on defense, the way he runs. He just doesn't go down.”
Woodward said Skov's physical style is a product of his rugby background and his determination to prove that size isn't a limitation on the gridiron.
“He's got a humongous heart,” Woodward said, adding that no one is too small for football and that some of his best players he has ever coached have been on the smaller end of the roster.
Another example of a Tiger playing with a big heart is Jackson Fick, who returned to the field after an injury-plagued camp made an immediate impact for the Tiger defense.
“He was outstanding. He broke up a lot of plays and played well,” Woodward said of Fick. “Another example of a kid, you know, the size of the heart is what matters.”
On the larger size of the roster, Addison Roa-Cooper, a defensive lineman who scored two “Big Man” touchdowns after receiving the handoff on offense in a pair of goal line situations, kept the assessment of his performance simple.
“It was pretty good. I loved it,” he said.
Roa-Cooper also credited his rugby experience with helping him handle a big man's running game and the physicality of football.
“Getting hit with no pads on is pretty helpful,” he said.
Woodward hopes the Tigers will turn around in a week's time for their rivalry game against Prairie on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at District Stadium.
“We'll clean this stuff up, and we'll be a much better football team,” Woodward said.
For the Spudders, Ridgefield head coach Scott Rice said the game provided encouragement despite the challenges of facing a 4A opponent with a largely inexperienced lineup for his squad.
“We have 22 guys that started the game on both sides of the ball tonight. Maybe one of them started a game last year,” Rice said.
Despite that inexperience, Rice said the players responded with the kind of effort he wanted to see.
“A lot of guys went in and fought exceptionally hard against a 4A school, showed some gumption a little bit,” Rice said. “There's a lot of grit in there.”
Rice said there is still plenty for the team to correct, but the performance gave him confidence moving forward.
“It's a good team. Like, there's a lot of upside, we've got to fix a lot of stuff,” he said. “But it's one of those that I can't walk away without feeling pretty confident about it with a game that battled right down to the last minute trying to win it.”
Rice said the upcoming matchup against another 4A opponent, the Skyview Storm, represents an important step for a 2A Ridgefield program preparing to regularly compete against larger schools.
“Those are going to be common games for our guys. So we've got to learn to make them common games,” Rice said.
“Every opportunity is an experience opportunity,” he added.
Rice also praised Jack Curtis for turning in a strong defensive performance, including capitalizing on two turnovers for a pair of scoop-and-scores as the Spudders’ lone touchdowns.
“He's a heck of an athlete. He's a great kid,” Rice said. “He's a competitor, and I'll take him on the line any day of the week.”
The Ridgefield Spudders next take on the Skyview Storm at home on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m.
