For the past few years, East Ridge’s Ryan Kim spent his autumns going to football games, not playing in them.

He elected to go out for football in this, his senior year, wanting to make sure he didn’t graduate with any regrets. After Friday night, Kim’s only regret might have been that he didn’t go out for football sooner.

The East Ridge defensive back made the play of his life, intercepting a pass and returning it 90 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. That proved to be the game-winning score as the Raptors celebrated homecoming with a 17-16 victory over previously undefeated Roseville.

“That kid hasn’t played since middle school and he comes out in his senior year,” said East Ridge coach Dan Fritze. “He’s just the best kid, the best teammate. It was just a player making a play. I’m so happy for him.”

The score was tied 10-10 when Kim picked off Roseville quarterback Luke Bouchardt deep in East Ridge territory, ending a Raiders’ drive that appeared to be headed for a go-ahead score.

“It was just a blur,” said Kim, smiling broadly while accepting a constant string of congratulations from teammates, fans and even a Roseville player. “That was the biggest play I’ve ever had.”

Roseville came back and cut the lead to 17-16 with just over a minute to go on an 18-yard pass from Bouchardt to Zach Andrade, but the Raiders failed on the potential game-winning two-point conversion.

At 3-0 and ranked No. 8 in Class 6A, Roseville appeared to have its best chance to end a losing streak to East Ridge that dated to 2010.

But the Raptors asserted themselves in the first half, dominating the line of scrimmage and building a 10-0 halftime lead.

Roseville rallied in the third quarter with a quick 10-0 spurt thanks to a safety and a 5-yard run by Max Sandin, but that was all the offense the mistake-prone Raiders could muster until their final drive.

“We have a lot of guys playing for the first time,” Fritze said. “This game can really help us become a solid team. But we’re still not there.”

Its offense sputtering, its defense sagging and plagued by a rash of penalties, East Ridge needed a spark.

Ryan Kim provided it.

The senior cornerback stepped in front of a pass at the East Ridge 10-yard-line and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown, lifting East Ridge to a 17-16 homecoming victory over previously undefeated Roseville.

East Ridge (3-1) nearly gave the lead back in the game’s final stages, allowing Roseville to convert a fourth-and-25 with 2:28 left. The Raiders scored four plays later on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Luke Bouchardt to Zach Andrade, but Bouchardt was sacked on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

Many believed Roseville, by virtue of its 3-0 record and high-voltage offense, had its best chance in yars to end a losing streak to East Ridge that dated back to 2010.

But Roseville struggled to display the offensive firepower they showed in the first three games of the season and fell behind 10-0 at halftime.

The Raiders found themselves briefly, tying the game with 10-point blitz midway through the third quarter.

Christian Hurt, a force all game at defensive tackle, careened through the East Ridge offensive line and sacked East Ridge quarterback Riley Tuckner for a safety.

Roseville took ensuing possession and went 71 yards in six plays – bolstered by a 15-yard personal foul penalty on East Ridge – and tied the game on a five-yard run by Max Sandin and a two-point conversion.

But the Raiders were undone by their own mistakes. Three turnovers, with Kim’s pick-six being the killer, and numerous dropped passes repeatedly doomed Roseville drives. East Ridge made a strong case for keeping the streak alive on its first drive, going 52 yards in 15 plays, 13 of them running plays, and took a 3-0 lead on a 32-yard field goal by Jack McKenzie.

A Roseville miscue led to East Ridge’s next score. Quarterback Luke Bouchardt was hit as he threw by Raptors lineman Drew Corrigan and the ball fluttered to midfield, where it was intercepted by linebacker Kyle Newkirk.

One play later, Raptors QB Riley Tuckner hit a streaking Payton Johnson in stride down the middle of the field for a 51-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead they carried into halftime.