ORANGE PARK – Ridgeview’s Eddie Whipple had 212 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns as the Panthers roared back from an early deficit to clip Menendez 38-24 on Fri., Oct. 23 at Ridgeview High School in a key district matchup.

“Eddie Whipple does what others cannot do,” said Ridgeview head coach Matt Knauss. “He reminds me of [former Florida Gator and NFL star] Percy Harvin.”

With the win, Ridgeview improves to 6-1, setting up the Panthers’ biggest regular season game in years, a date on Friday at Clay in Green Cove Springs. The Blue Devils are 6-0 after a 56-20 victory over Middleburg on Friday.

Whipple, a six-foot, 190 pounder, played wide receiver, running back and quarterback to ensure he would have the ball in his hands when the Panthers needed a big play. The junior’s three catches were as many as all other Panthers combined. His 57 receiving yards accounted for half of Ridgeview’s passing yards. As a running back and quarterback, the junior rushed for 155 yards on 12 carries. No other Panther had more than 45 rushing yards. All of Whipple’s touchdowns came on sweeps around the end, two on jet sweeps from his receiver position and two on sweeps as a wildcat quarterback. Whipple broke tackles at the line and then found a higher gear once he broke into the clear.

Menendez dominated the first quarter. Quarterback King Benford, who finished with 180 rushing yards on 19 carries despite cramping that forced him to miss the second quarter, slithered through and around the Panthers for touchdown runs of 27 and 50 yards. Though Ridgeview’s A’Taj Brown crashed in from the edge and blocked the second extra point, the Falcons led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. Knauss explained the slow start.

“They are teenage kids,” said Knauss. “I think they had their eyes on next week, the unofficial district title game (vs. Clay).”

At fullback, Panther starting linebacker Miika Tuisano ignited the Panthers’ rally by getting them on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a four yard run. A Nate Jonston interception at midfield led to a 22 yard field goal by Austin Leonard, closing the deficit to 13-10. The first of safety Keon Kendrick’s two interceptions, coming on a Hail Mary pass at the end of first half, made sure the Falcons would not extend their lead.

After Whipple scored on a one yard run to put Ridgeview up 17-13 on the opening possession of the third quarter, it appeared the Falcons would respond as they drove across midfield. But Benford’s next pass was bobbled by wideout Tabias Brown and intercepted by Kendrick, who returned the ball 50 yards to the Menendez 9 yard line.

On the next play, Whipple took a jet sweep to the right, stiff-armed a tackler and reached the pylon, giving Ridgeview a two-score lead with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter.

The Falcons fought back with an 80-yard drive that culminated with Noah Lawless’ six yard burst up the middle. When freshman Zander Martin ran for a two-point conversion, the Ridgeview lead was 24-21 with 11:55 remaining in the game.

The Panthers were forced to punt on their next possession, but the defense came through by forcing a fourth Falcons turnover. Defensive end Josh Dorsanvil stripped Benford as he raised his arm to throw, picked up the loose ball and returned it 27 yards to the five yard line.

“He is six-foot five [inches], and he comes off the edge fast,” Knauss said of Dorsanvil, who was an All-County tight end in 2019 but moved to defense this year upon the request of his coaches. “He has just been making plays.”

Whipple, lined up as the wildcat quarterback, took a direct snap, broke a tackle and followed a caravan into the end zone on the next play to give Ridgeview a 30-21 lead. Menendez responded with a 24 yard field goal by Bryce Addison to trim the Ridgeview lead to 31-24.

On the ensuing possession, a bad shotgun snap and a loss of yardage on a running play left Ridgeview with a third and 20 from their own 32 yard line with two minutes remaining. Again out of the wildcat formation, Whipple ran to his right, followed a crushing block by receiver Spencer Calise, turned the corner and outran the pursuit to the end zone for his fourth touchdown, putting the game away.

“Everyone in the stadium knew who the ball was going to go to,” said Knauss, who was just hoping to make Menendez burn a time out before Ridgeview punted. “He [Whipple] is just an all-star.”

The Panthers gave up 307 rushing yards, but Knauss was pleased that they had faced an athletic team that runs the read option as much as Menendez did, and with the fact that his charges rallied from the two-score deficit. The four turnovers forced by the Ridgeview defense led to 17 points.

“We will see the best read option offense in Clay County next week,” said Knauss. “We have to force them to do what they do not like to do. If we trust our reads, we will stop it.”

Menendez, which fell to 2-4, lost to Clay 49-7 on October 16. The Falcons host Orange Park on October 30.