The River Ridge football team picked up its first victory of the 2026 season with an 11-0 shutout over Bellarmine on Thursday, Oct. 29 in a Puget Sound League crossover matchup in Tacoma.
It’s the first shutout for the Hawks since they held Shelton scoreless in their 2025 season opener.
“We got to the locker room afterward, and I told the boys to look around and see who’s sitting here with them and who has fought through the adversity and hung in here until the end,” River Ridge head coach Tim Claridge said. “I truly believe football is a lot more than just a game. It teaches a lot of life lessons, and life is not easy a lot of times. The boys did a tremendous job of learning to fight through adversity and persevering so they could get this win tonight.”
The unorthodox scoring night started with a 38-yard field goal by Marco Villa Jr. in the second quarter. On the final play of the first half, sophomore quarterback Jax Fulton threw a Hail Mary to D’Vaughntae Sellman in the corner of the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown.
Immediately after the thrilling play, Bellarmine’s PA announcer joked on the microphone, “I thought we were the Catholic school.” River Ridge’s extra point attempt was blocked, giving the Hawks a 9-0 halftime advantage.
Midway through the third quarter, Villa helped River Ridge score again, as his incredible punt pinned the Bellarmine offense inside its own 5-yard line. Junior defensive end Jashon Spencer came up clutch with a tackle in the end zone for a safety.
“We had standout performances by JJ Spencer and Ryzen Nunez at defensive end. Corey Manny dialed up some good blitzes up the middle as a middle linebacker,” Claridge said of the defense. “Our defensive backs had great coverage.”
Claridge also highlighted the play of Sellman, who came down with the miraculous touchdown to end the first half. Despite battling injuries, Sellman has excelled in every position he’s played and has evolved into a versatile weapon on offense.
“I am extremely proud of him for how well he has hung in there this year. He’s fought through injuries. He’s had a tremendous positive attitude,” Claridge said of Sellman. “You can call him a gadget guy. You can call him a utility guy. I could ask him to play center and he’d play center for me.”
River Ridge finishes the regular season with a 1-8 record and 1-5 mark in the Puget Sound League. Claridge acknowledged his senior group for their efforts in a tough season. Although their 1-8 record was one game worse than last season, the Hawks’ losses were much more competitive than a season ago.
“We performed better. The games were more competitive, and I’m really proud of the boys for a lot of the things that they accomplished that maybe people won’t recognize because of a win-loss record,” Claridge said.
