Denton Ryan’s defense dominates Mansfield Timberview to secure statement shutout victory
Denton Ryan’s offensive line is a force to be reckoned with.
The unit is anchored by five-star Alabama commit Ty Haywood, who has a 6-foot-5, 285-pound frame. It also includes Marcus Garcia, a 6-foot-5, 270 pound Texas A&M commit.
But at the Collins Complex on Thursday, it was the defensive line that powered Ryan to a 28-0 shutout win over Mansfield Timberview. The Wolves tallied 58 total yards in the contest, gaining seven yards on 22 rushing attempts.
“We played hard,” Denton Ryan head coach Dave Henigan said. “We knew it would be a physical, tough, hard nosed game -- an ugly game, so to speak. A defensive battle. They’re really good on defense. We’re really good on defense. I’m proud of the way the kids played. They made enough plays on both sides of the ball to put us in a position to win.”
The secondary also stepped up to the plate, forcing three interceptions.
The offense didn’t have a perfect performance but kept being put in stellar situations by the Raider defense. The running game did more than enough to secure a comfortable win.
“One of the keys coming in was to maintain our poise,” Henigan said. “And I think we did. We didn’t get hardly any foolish penalties. Defense carried us -- and that’s the way it’s going to be. Defense and the running game, and enough opportunistic plays in the passing game.”
Ryan’s offense started with turnovers in back-to-back drives but built confidence and consistency as the game continued. Running back Tre’Vaugh Reynolds got the scoring started with a 14-yard touchdown.
Following Timberview’s fourth consecutive drive without a first down, Ryan (2-0) once again sparked a scoring drive aided by a pass interference penalty from the Wolves. Wide receiver Lorenzo Hill put the Raiders in the red zone with a 38-yard reception and running back Nemo Warmate finished things off with a 14-yard score to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead.
After a Timberview (1-1) drive that was fizzled by a Mun’Terrius Ellis sack, the Raider offense was boosted to the red zone by two Wolve penalties. The final score of the half was a 33-yard field goal to give Ryan a 17-0 lead.
Midway through the third quarter, Ryan forced a Timberview punt from the 2-yard line due to consecutive tackles for a loss. The snap was a bit high and deflected off the punter’s hands for a safety.
As if things couldn’t get worse for Timberview, Ryan’s was set up in the end zone by an interception. Reynolds ended up getting his second score of the day on a 7-yard scamper.
Another errant snap for Timberview didn’t result in another safety but put the Wolves near the goal. The Ryan defensive line’s pressure forced an intentional grounding in the end zone that resulted in a safety, which was the final scoring play of the game.
“Those guys have all played a lot,” Henigan said, referring to the defensive line. “We expect great things from those guys. They’re a good unit. They play hard. They play together. They play fast. They’re physical.”
The Raiders are the Star-Telegram’s No. 2 ranked Class 5A team while the Wolves, a District 3-5A D2 contender, currently sit at number five.
Denton Ryan will start its district play on Sept. 12 in an away contest at Keller ISD Stadium against Fossil Ridge. Timberview will look to get back in the win column in a home game against Argyle on Sept. 13.
Henigan wasn’t fully satisfied with Ryan’s performance, saying the team has a ton of things to fix prior to district play. If the Raiders are to defeat Aledo on Oct. 4, they’ll have to have a better offensive showing; they won’t be able to rely solely on the ground-and-pound runs.
“We’ve got to figure out who we are -- our identity offensively,” Henigan said. “And continue to grow there. We don’t want to be one dimensional. We were more than one dimensional tonight compared to a week ago. But you do what you have to do to win.”
