Ridge Allen leads Benjamin Franklin to season-opening win over Crismon

By Zach Alvira

Head of Content

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Benjamin Franklin senior running back Ridge Allen scored four times in the Chargers' season-opening win over Crismon. (JJ Digos/Hypamark Contributor)

Danny Norris knew expectations would be high for his Benjamin Franklin football program. 

The Chargers return 19 starters from last year’s team that made a run to the 3A playoffs. They’re a pre-season top 10 team as voted by statewide media in the Hypamark Media Composite Rankings. The buzz surrounding the program is the highest it’s been since Dave Jeffries led the program to its only state championship appearance in 2017. 

But Norris made sure his players remained focused. They don’t want to overlook any team ahead of them, including the Crismon Rattlers. 

There were plenty of mistakes from both teams in their season opener Friday night in Queen Creek. Penalties, fumbles, missed blocks and tackles will undoubtedly be the topic of conversation during film sessions. But in the end, starting the season a high note was the goal, and Benjamin Franklin did just that in the form of a 34-7 victory over Crismon.

"Definitely some rust to knock off right now," Norris said. "I thought they improved a ton. Their new head coach [Derrick Sainz] has done a great job getting these boys ready. There are things we have to get cleaned up. We haven't played a game in 295 days."

Benjamin Franklin vs Crismon. (JJ Digos/Hypamark Contributor)

The Chargers started slow. Maybe expected for the season opener. But senior running back Ridge Allen quickly pulled them out of the rut in the first quarter. 

A quarterback in his early years with the Chargers, he has quickly become one of the top running backs in the 3A Conference. Perhaps the state. 

He led the Chargers down the field on their second possession, cashing in from 3 yards out for the first score of the season. That was a precursor to a stellar opening night for Allen. 

After Ben Franklin extended its lead with a 9-yard pass from quarterback Gavin Wyler to Ashton Grant, Allen found the end zone yet again from 2 yards out. A fumbled snap on a punt gave the Chargers good field position. A few plays later, Allen broke a tackle in the backfield, reversed field and scampered into the end zone for a third time. 

In the first two quarters of the season he had already eclipsed the 100-yard mark and scored three times. Norris wasn’t surprised.

"That young man has been through more than probably most high school football players," Norris said. "He ran really hard tonight. Who he is as a young man is what makes him impressive. When he got his he called other guys' numbers and put them in."

Ridge Allen and Ashton Grant. (JJ Digos/Hypamark Contributor)

The scoring slowed in the second half. Crismon’s only touchdown of the game came on a long kick return by Kenyon Steptoe in the second quarter. The Rattlers, while able to have decent drives offensively, were marred by penalties or turnovers that stopped them short of scoring position. 

The Rattlers were penalized 11 times for over 100 yards. Some of those came in the form of personal fouls after the play. 

But even with mental mistakes taking a toll, Crismon showed improvement from last season. Major improvement. 

The Rattlers flew to the football defensively. The defensive line, led by end Robbie HeHe, stuffed many rushing attempts by Ben Franklin and applied pressure during passing downs. They forced one turnover on the night, an interception by Ryan Campbell, who played both ways. 

Like Ben Franklin, Crismon returns several starters from last year’s team. All of them, actually. But with the offense struggling to move the ball, the defense was forced onto the field with short breaks, ultimately resulting in Allen’s success on the ground. 

"Can't thank my O-line enough," said Allen, who rushed 25 times for 161 yards and four touchdowns. "They were creating holes for me and putting in the work."

Allen’s curtain call was a 32-yard touchdown run where he again escaped what would’ve been a tackle for loss. 

He joked that his vision and ability to break out of tackles comes from Norris, who gave him grief last year for being caught from behind. This year he hopes to change that. 

He’s done well so far. 

"I have that mindset, 'don't get caught,'" Allen said. "I just try to run my hardest. I think I did OK tonight."

There are still plenty of kinks to work out for the Chargers. They were also penalized several times and the passing game was inconsistent. But they shined defensively, forcing two interceptions — both of which picked off by Ty Sather. 

Norris and Allen agree they have to take things one day and game at a time. They’re not yet in position to overlook teams. That was apparent with the mistakes they made. 

But starting the season with a win was important for the Chargers. Now it’s about correcting mistakes and preparing themselves for a long grind. 

"Phenomenal," Norris said of the win. "You always want to start the season 1-0."