Ridgeline’s one goal is to “win the last game” – Cache Valley Daily

The Ridgeline Riverhawks run onto the field prior to their playoff game against Snow Canyon on Oct. 28, 2023

In the 2022 season Ridgeline had a tough act to follow with the 2021 team posting a perfect season with a 4A state title at the end. Quite a bit of talent from that stellar team graduated but the Riverhawks still pulled through for an 8-5 season and second-place finish in Region 11. That was solid but doesn’t meet the high expectations head coach Travis Cox has brought to the program.

Hear Coach Cox’s thoughts on his team

2023 Prospectus

When asked about losing out on the Region 11 title by one game because of a loss to Sky View, Cox brushed it off saying that while a region title is good, there’s a higher goal in mind for the team.

“The seasons are different now because the RPI and all that’s changed,” Cox said. “We really only have one goal and it’s to win the state title. Region championships are nice but our whole goal is to win the last game and that’s our focus.”

The Riverhawks are justified in a state-title-or-bust mentality since in the three seasons of Cox’s tenure in Millville, Ridgeline has been a 4A powerhouse, winning at least eight games each season, including the undefeated 13-0 campaign in 2021. Last year was arguably the worst year under Cox and it still ended with eight wins and a trip to the 4A semifinals.

Some of last year’s struggles game from youth. A few injuries forced younger players into prominent positions early. Though Cox noted that several of those younger players simply outplayed their older teammates and earned those spots. Several freshman played prominent roles last year for the Riverhawks including Nate Dahle at quarterback, Graham Livingtson at wide receiver, Cooper Clark at linebacker, Hunter Knighton at tight end and Easton Hammond on the offensive line.

With younger players at all these positions (Cox said “I feel like we have our whole entire offense back”), it’s made the job easier for Cox and his fellow coaches. Not so much in that the players have experience, but that there’s familiarity between the players and coaches.

“We try not to just rely on that they’ve got experience,” said Cox. “I think the biggest thing for us is we know where their strengths are. We don’t have to learn about them as players. We can kind of just go with what we know and it’s easier to build a gameplan or a philosophy around our guys. So that’s been easier this year.”

Dahle’s continued development and his role going forward will always be key since he plays the key position of quarterback. Last year he threw for 2,307 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. — fairly impressive numbers for a freshman. Cox praised his QB’s smarts and said he felt like the development is coming along.

“He’s always been a really smart kid. I don’t think you play a kid that young if he doesn’t have a good head on his shoulders,” said Cox. “He’s an extremely competitive kid and so he has all that down. So now it’s just a matter of if the game’s slowing down and I feel like it has and he’s much more comfortable with things and very poised. He’s just a really good quarterback.”

There’s a big focus on the offense overall since it really underperformed last year at just 19.8 points per game. That number looked even worse in the shadow of the 45.2 points the team averaged in 2021, but Cox is still adamant on improving the scoring output.

“It would be a failure if we don’t score more points. Last year was really tough on us and we don’t expect that to be the case this year,” said Cox. “We definitely didn’t score points like we want (last year) and our whole goal is to score a lot more points this year.”

The offense will have to replace top running back Will Rippstein, who ran for 934 yards and seven TDs last year, but JT white — who had 387 yards and four touchdowns — should step into his place quite nicely. Aside from that, many key spots are already filled. Carson Cox and Livingston at wide receiver, Knighton at tight and and the offensive line largely intact.

Defensively the team lost quite a few starters, including its top tackler, Owen Munk. But three of the next top four leaders in tackles from 2022 return for the Riverhawks with JT White and Avyn Gore being the top two returners. The defensive line figures to be a strength according to Cox as he said the team is deep at that position group.

“You always win the game up front. I love our D-line,” said Cox. “I like what we can do there and I think it’s going to help solidify us as a good defense because it all starts with those guys up front.”

The schedule for the Riverhawks is a fairly brutal one with no easy opponents in the non-region schedule. Four of their five opponents are 5A or 6A (and the fifth is moving from 5A to 4A this year) and all had winning records last year at those levels. Stansbury, which Ridgeline will face on Merlin Olsen Field on August 25, will be a particularly tough opponent as the Stallions went 12-1 last year at the 5A level.

Adding to the toughness of the schedule is the fact that Sky View, the team Ridgeline will likely be battling with for the Region 11 crown, will be a road game for the Riverhawks. That game against the Bobcats also comes right at the end of the brutal initial four-game non-region slate (and will be the third straight week the Riverhawks are playing away from their home stadium). The schedule does ease up for them after that, the remaining Region 11 teams that Ridgeline should beat, but then it ramps up right again with a regular season-concluding game against 5A Orem.

Assuming the schedule doesn’t beat them down too hard, Ridgeline has a great chance of being a top team in Region 11 this year. Sky View look pretty dang good in the preseason, but Cox has led some really good teams and has had a whole offseason to spend with a lot of young players who have a ton of room to grow. Depending on how much growth occurred, this Riverhawks team could be a dangerous team in not just the Region 11 race, but the 4A title chase.