Woodstock Stuns River Ridge 14-10 for First Win in Rivalry Since 2015

Region play opened Friday night at The Woodshed, as Woodstock hosted River Ridge in a pivotal 6-5A matchup. The Wolverines entered looking to snap a losing streak against the Knights — River Ridge had won five straight in the series since 2015. By the final whistle, Woodstock had ended the drought in dramatic fashion.

The Wolverines struck first with a bit of trickery. Quarterback Graham Burmeister slipped out for a reception and hauled in a touchdown pass from Rylan Hubbard, giving Woodstock a 7-0 lead with less than a minute left in the first quarter. River Ridge responded in the second quarter, as kicker Will Barry connected on a field goal to trim the deficit to 7-3 with 10:20 remaining in the half. Defense controlled the rest of the quarter, and Woodstock carried its 7-3 lead into halftime.

The Knights took their first lead of the night in the third quarter. Quarterback Hunter Lockerman found Sam Vincent for a big touchdown grab, pushing River Ridge ahead 10-7 with 5:52 left in the period.

In the fourth quarter, it looked like River Ridge might hold on, but Woodstock had other plans. The Wolverines got the ball back with 2:46 to play, trailing by three. That’s when Burmeister delivered a strike on a screen pass to Xavier Murphy, who raced into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with just 1:13 left on the clock.

With River Ridge driving to answer, the Woodstock defense closed the door. Caleb Vigna stepped in front of a pass for a game-sealing interception, setting off a celebration at The Woodshed.

The final score was Woodstock 14, River Ridge 10. The win not only gave the Wolverines a 1-0 start in region play, but also snapped a five-game skid against their rivals, earning their first victory over River Ridge since 2015. The playoff race in 5-6A will be one of the most intriguing in the state this season.