WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & SportsAdversity sparks Ridgeland's rare playoff run

ROSSVILLE, Ga. (WRCB) -- A steady rain and thick cloud cover brought a gloomy visual to football practice Tuesday afternoon in Rossville, and yet every player was grinning from ear to ear.

For just the second time in school history, Ridgeland is preparing to play in a GHSA second round playoff game. Coach Mark Mariakas is making sure his team soaks in every second of that rain, and this experience, knowing it doesn't come easily or often.

"Anybody at this point in time is just happy to be practicing. There's only 16 teams left (in Class 3A), and we're still one of them, and that's all that matters," Mariakas said.

The task is a tall one: a trip to perennial power Peach County, who has won three state championships in the last decade.

But the Panthers may have already overcome their biggest obstacle.

Mired in a 1-3 start thanks to a combination of youth, inexperience and a brutal early schedule, Mariakas made the decision to suspend ten players for a rivalry game against Dalton for violating team rules. The decision resulted in a 28-21 loss to the Catamounts and eventually led to several players quitting the team, but it served as a spark moving forward.

"We had to overcome a lot of adversity this year, but when we sat some players out and had some others quit, it put the players on the field that really wanted to be there," said senior offensive lineman Seth Adams. "That's what gave us the edge to beat some of these teams to put us in the spot we are now."

The Panthers rallied to win four of their final five games on the field, and received another victory when Dalton later forfeited its win for using an ineligible player. At 6-4 overall, Ridgeland claimed its fourth straight sub-region championship before beating Monroe Area 35-21 last week for the program's second playoff win.

"This season has just been up and down, but when we got rid of all the distractions we finally became the team we thought we were going to be," said senior receiver Elijah Cutts.

Now it's on to the next test.

Mariakas' challenge all week has been controlling his team's emotions and keeping their focus on Peach County.

"We want to play like we've been here before, but reality is it's only the second time we've ever been here," Adams said. "We're happy to be here, but now it's time to settle down and do what we do best, and that's play Ridgeland football."

And the hope is they can find a way to keep playing it next week, as well.

"This is probably the biggest game we've played, team-wise and what's at stake, but our kids our up to the challenge," Mariakas said. "Nobody would have believed five weeks ago that we'd even be here, so I'm not counting these guys out. I've seen them work. I know what's in our heart.

"I trust that our coaches will have these kids prepared, and we keep telling the kids to make somebody beat you. Don't beat yourself. So we're going to go down there and give it our best."