Last week, the Raiders couldn’t get into the end zone. This week, they couldn’t stay out of it.
The varsity football team scored eight touchdowns in a 55-29 win over Cedar Ridge Sept. 6, their second straight win in the “Raider Bowl.” The rout was a much needed confidence boost after Hendrickson shut out the Raiders in the season opener, Aug. 30.
“I thought it was really close; a good battle,” running back AJ Badour said. “Defense stepped it up in the second quarter and we took it from there.”
On the team’s first possession, quarterback Billy Ray McCrary scored the first touchdown of the season for the Raiders, a 59-yard run in the first quarter.
“It was nice scoring the first points, but I give all the credit to the line,” McCrary said. “They really came to play and dominated up front.”
The Raiders would also score on their next drive, a McCrary 4-yard pass to senior Andre Alger. But Cedar Ridge wasn’t about to go easily. They answered back with two touchdowns in the first quarter and two more in the second. The Raiders would add three more TDs in the second giving the team a slim 34-29 lead going into halftime.
Like last week, the defense would come out stronger in the second half. They kept Cedar Ridge out of the end zone, senior Aerik Ashley sacked the quarterback for a loss of 8, and defense had two interceptions, one by sophomore Morgan Vest and junior Chris Hoad. The defense held Cedar Ridge to 262 passing yards and 22 on the ground.
The offense would tack on three more touchdowns in the second half, including a 39-run by quarterback Wesley Geisler. They finished with 552 total yards, including 436 rushing. Badour was the leading rusher with 17 carries for 140 yards and one touchdown. Six players reached the end zone Friday night, with McCrary scoring three of the touchdowns.
“[The] offense was great,” Badour said. “Once we get the ball rolling we’re unstoppable.”
The Raiders return to Bible Stadium Friday to play Buda Hays at 7:30 p.m.
“We feel good about the game but that’s in the past,” McCrary said. “Now we’re already focused on this week’s game.”
