‘Ririe Rumble’ heads to perennial power West Side for 3A showdown
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RIRIE – Football nicknames are fun. There’s Sweetness, the Bus, the Refrigerator, Megatron. The list is endless.
Over in Ririe, the Bulldogs’ dynamic running back duo of Kolter Lewis and Rafe Newton don’t have a cool name yet, but let’s go with the Ririe Rumble.
Why Rumble?
That’s probably what defenses feel when they line up against the Bulldogs, with their fierce offensive line and a pair of running backs who can each break open a game with a dazzling run. Add in a passing attack that can be sneaky lethal, and you have the 2024 Bulldogs offense.
Ririe is at perennial power West Side on Friday in the second round of the 3A playoffs, so the Ririe Rumble has another chance to add to its history.
Last week the Bulldogs not only hosted a playoff game for the first time in program history, they picked up their first postseason win.
Newton and Lewis, who were recently named Co-Offensive Players of the Year in the Nuclear Conference, have been nearly unstoppable in the team’s double-wing offense, either finding holes up the middle or sprinting for yardage outside and racing past defenders.
Facing the Ririe offense is a double-edge sword for opponents. Focus on stopping one, and the other breaks loose for another 100-yard day with a couple of scores.
Stop both? That’s been hard to do.
“I feel like we compliment each other well,” said Lewis, who has run for 1,131 yards and 16 touchdowns. “I think teams find it difficult because they can’t stop both of us.”
Newton has rushed for 1,118 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“Most games, it’s either me or him,” Newton said of the team’s ability to run, even if defenses focus on one of the running backs. “Pretty much every game is like that … me and Kolter are fine with each other’s success.”
Ririe (7-2) led the conference in scoring at more than 35 points per game. West Side (8-1) can also score, so this matchup might be a high scoring game.
If the Bulldogs are to continue their record run, the Rumble will probably have to be at its best.
“It’s incredible what they do.” coach Josh Huntsman said. “They’re each others biggest blocker. One of them is going to be downfield blocking for the other one. They’re excited when the other one gains yards.”
Lewis and Newton started playing together in Grid Kid ball. Both said they started to see the team’s progress last season and knew bigger and better things were ahead this season.
“Last year, we were young,” Newton said. “We had some good guys (coming back) and some good linemen.”
Like good teammates, both credited their linemen — Brayden Koons, Brady Barber, Cooper Huntsman, Ryker Harris, John Slachter, Austin Landon — for the team’s achievements as well as individual accolades.
The Bulldogs have won four straight, including a convincing 38-14 win over conference heavyweight North Fremont. The two losses have been to conference champ Firth and No. 2 state seed Aberdeen.
Huntsman noted the Aberdeen loss was a good gauge for the Bulldogs against some of the top competition in the state. Things won’t get any easier when they face West Side, which has won four of the past five state titles, including last season.
“If you want to be a great football team you have to beat the other teams and you’ve got to beat the great football teams,” Huntsman said. “What an opportunity to go down to Dayton and to be able to play there and see that history and see how their program runs and to be able to compete against a team like that.
“I’m super-excited to go down there and play against them and compete and see where we match up.”
No matter what happens Friday, the Bulldogs have set a new standard for the program, which has been a trend for Ririe this season.
The volleyball team won a conference title and the boys and girls cross country team’s each celebrated state titles last weekend.
Huntsman said the town has been excited about the school’s success, including alums Jordan Hamilton, who coaches the boys basketball team, and wrestling coach Chris Harris, who both played football for the Bulldogs, but never made a deep playoff run.
Thanks to the Ririe Rumble, that’s changed in 2024.