Round Rock 36, Rouse 16
Oct. 10

The Raiders got on the board first, with senior AJ Badour leaping over a pile of players to reach the end zone. The defense limited Round Rock to just one touchdown in the first half and the Dragons held a slim 7-6 going into halftime.

But Round Rock’s offense scored four touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter and the Raiders only managed a field goal and one touchdown.

“They were a tough opponent, but it was a good competition overall,” Badour said. “We could’ve done better, but you gotta give them props.”

Rouse 30, McNeil 10
Oct. 17

McCrary scored three touchdowns and Alger added another touchdown in the Pink Out game at Bible Stadium. The defense limited McNeil to 11 first downs and senior Danny Benitez snagged two interceptions.

“It was good. We didn’t play that good the first half, but we came together as a team after the second half,” McCrary said. “All that matters is that we won, so we can get into playoffs.”

Rouse 45, Cedar Ridge 24
Oct. 24

At Cedar Ridge, the Raiders scored six touchdowns in the win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

McCrary was the leading rusher with 138 yards, scoring two touchdowns. Alger and Franks each caught touchdown passes, while Simmons added a score in the fourth quarter. Zach Nobles went 6-for-6 on extra points and hit a field goal.

On the defensive side, Bobby Reale intercepted a Cedar Ridge pass and ran it 54 yards. Reale also stripped the ball from Cedar Ridge and ran it 12 yards for a touchdown.

“I felt pretty good, I felt it was the first time we played to our full potential,” Reale said. “We didn’t do that well the first half, but as a team we came together during the second half and did that.”

Rouse 27, Stony Point 14
Oct. 31

The Raiders took a commanding 21 point lead the first quarter in their 27-14 win over Stony Point. The Raiders scored quickly in the district game, with quarterback Billy Ray McCrary rushing for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the opening drive.

On the second series, McCrary threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jackson Franks. McCrary was 6 of 12 for 177 yards. Franks added his second score of the night with an amazing one-handed catch for a 47-yard touchdown. With only two catches, Franks had 134 receiving yards.

McCrary added his second touchdown of the night in the third quarter to increase the Raiders’ lead to 27-0. McCrary was the leading rusher with 108 of the team’s 314 rushing yards.

Stony Point finally got on the board late in the third with a 39-yard touchdown pass. They added one more touchdown in the fourth. A late push to close the gap to seven was thwarted as the defense’s goal line stand kept the Tigers out of the end zone. The Tigers made one last ditch effort on the final play of the game, a final Hail Mary pass into the end zone, but it was intercepted by Morgan Vest.

Hendrickson 33, Rouse 28
Nov. 7

In a showdown for second place and a better playoff spot, the Raiders put up a fight at Hawk Stadium that lasted through the final play of the game.

After fumbling on their first possession, the Raiders took advantage of the Hawks’ second turnover, scoring after Danny Benitez’s interception at the 15. Hendrickson quickly answered back, and the score was tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter. The Hawks and Raiders both scored touchdowns in the second quarter and with seven seconds left in the half, Hendrickson added a field goal to take a 17-14 lead into halftime.

The Hawks scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to take a 33-14 lead in the fourth quarter. The defense held Hendrickson to a field goal in the third, and then the Hawks recovered a punt that led to a score to increase their lead by 12 early in the fourth. With less than eight minutes left, the Raiders fumbled in the red zone and Hendrickson scooped it for a quick score to extend the lead to 19.

But on the kickoff return, Morgan Vest ran it back for a touchdown and in 16 seconds, the Raiders cut Hendrickson’s lead back to 12.

Bobby Reale forces a Hendrickson fumble and runs it for a touchdown to cut the lead to 33-28 with less than seven minutes left.

The Raiders recover the onside kick for a short field and a chance to take the lead. On 4^th and 5, Jackson Franks gets the first down at the 14 with two defenders covering him. But on second down, the Hawks defense rips the ball away and Hendrickson starts at their own 8.

The defense forces Hendrickson to punt and with less than three minutes left, the Raiders start from their own 47. A pass to AJ Badour on 4th and 6 is ruled incomplete and the Hawks take over on downs.

With a minute left, the Raiders get a second chance as they recover the ball. On 4th and 7, McCrary rushes to the 21 for the first down with six seconds left. Two false start penalties move the Raiders back to the 31 and an incomplete pass from Brandon Wells to McCrary drops the clock to one second. McCrary throws a Hail Mary pass into the far end zone and while Jackson Franks grabs it, he can’t keep a hold of it.

The loss gave Hendrickson second place in district and the bi-district playoff game against Austin. The Raiders dropped to third place to face Lake Travis in the first round.

For the Lake Travis playoff game story, click here.

For a recap of the first half of season, click here.