By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SPRING GARDEN – Pitching a shutout is a rare thing in high school football, and it’s something that Spring Garden head coach Barrett Ragsdale feels should be rewarded.

A week after suffering a shutout loss at the hands of Class 2A Pleasant Valley – in which Ragsdale described as leaving a “bad taste in our mouth” – the Panthers got shed of that foul taste by flipping the script. They dished out their own goose egg by drilling Class 1A, Region 8 rival Cedar Bluff 44-0.

It was Spring Garden’s first shutout since Ragsdale’s second season as head coach. Ironically, that also came against Cedar Bluff in a 54-0 victory.

Friday’s shutout win won’t be the only reward the Panthers will reap.

“Over the years, if we get a shutout, we cook out on Tuesday,” Ragsdale said. “That’s something I started a long time ago when I was doing defense. It gives the kids something to get excited for. It breaks the monotony up at practice and gives us another reason to celebrate.

“A shutout is something that is very deserving of a reward. If I’m a kid and I get fed well, I’m thinking ‘Next Friday night I’m going to try getting it again.’”

Senior quarterback Brady Ruark already knows what he wants on the cookout menu. He said he’s  craving a steak.

And who could blame him for asking? After all, he led the Panthers with 122 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns. He also connected on four passes for 60 yards and two more scores with two 2-point conversions.

“We just came out hot,” Ruark said. “Our game plan was just to run it down their throat, pass it a little, spread the ball around. Our line blocked great. Coach (Draevan) Bowman set us up a good game plan on defense, and it all worked out well.”

Ruark set the tone for the Panthers on their first drive. He capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive with his 2-yard touchdown run, giving Spring Garden a 6-0 advantage.

Following the touchdown, Cedar Bluff fumbled on just its second play. Ryder Kralka recovered the ball to set the Panthers up near midfield. Four plays later, Ruark ran it in again from two yards out. His ensuing 2-point conversion pass to Ben Baker gave the Panthers a 14-0 edge with 4:05 to go in the opening quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Cayden Thompson recovered another Cedar Bluff fumble at the Tiger 28-yard line. Ruark ran it in from there, and then completed another 2-point pass – this one to Lucas McGatha – for a 22-0 Spring Garden lead at the end of the first quarter.

“We preach all year, but even more so tonight, about effort and execution. You’ve got to put them together,” Ragsdale said. “I think on both sides of the ball tonight we put effort and execution together. That contributed to our fast start.”

The Panthers kept piling up the points in the second quarter. Ruark tossed two 26-yard touchdown passes to Isaac Parris and Hayes Guthrie before halftime to push the Panther lead to 37-0 at halftime.

Following Ruark’s interception of Cedar Bluff quarterback Fischer Young to open the third quarter, Baker scored the game’s final touchdown on a 7-yard run.

Baker finished with 80 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown for the Panthers.

“We didn’t give up any big plays,” Ragsdale said. “Our secondary played very well. Our guys in the box controlled the box and did a good job of staying squared. That goes to Coach Bowman and our other coaches. They did a great job of getting a plan together, as they do every week, and our kids came out and did a really good job of playing clean football and executing tonight.”

Twin brothers Jamison and Jeremiah Miller led the Tigers. Jamison had 30 yards on eight carries. Jeremiah had 31 yards on 11 totes.

Cedar Bluff travels to Woodville on Friday, while Spring Garden hits the road to Valley Head.