{Editor’s Note: This year’s Raider’s football coverage is free to all readers thanks to a sponsorship from Greg Guinn Construction, Double K Farms, and Jack Collectible’s Dan Rifley.}
By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
LYNCHBURG — According to conventional football wisdom, 2024 should be a rebuilding year for the Moore County Raiders after losing Class 1A Mr. Football Dawson White and a host of senior playmakers. But you couldn’t tell it on Friday night at Doug Price Field as the Raiders mounted an impressive 33-7 win over the Cascade Champions in their home opener.
Prior to kickoff, the question in most Raiders fans minds was who will step up to fill White’s oversized shoes. The answer it turns out, is all of them.
On their second possession of the third quarter, some of this seasons potential playmakers gave a clinic in unselfish, team effort football. Tucker Smith, Logan Cashion, QB Gavin Wise, Isaac Petty, and Chris Merical pieced together a 11-play, four first downs drive that ended in a quarterback keeper into the end zone. It gave Moore County a 20-7 lead.
Last season’s Raider squad developed a bad habit of building a big first half lead and then taking their foot of the gas in the third — often allowing teams to narrow the gap headed into the fourth. But not this year’s Raiders. The Raiders scored two fourth quarter touchdowns and landed some of the best defense licks of the night in the final minutes.
Scoreless first quarter
Neither team scored in the first quarter. Moore County jumped out to a fantastic start. Petty broke free to earn a first down on the first play from scrimmage. Then QB Wise connected on a bomb to Brantley Hill to move the sticks on the next down. Petty picked up another six yards then the Cascade defense entered the chat and forced the Raiders to turn over the ball on downs. In particular, the Champions #11 Christian Casey played one heck of a defensive game — making several key stops.
On Cascade’s first possession Hill, Cashion, and Landon Smith played tight defense. On third and three, Cashion tipped the ball, forcing fourth down, and handing Moore County excellent field position.
With first and 10 at the Cascade 48, Merical did the heavy lifting on the first two downs, then Wise threw a dart to Cashion, who fought his way into the end zone. Unfortunately, refs called the play back due to an ineligible receiver down field. The Raiders then got another flag for a false start on the next play and imploded — handing the ball back to the Champions on fourth and 20.
On the last series of the first quarter, Cashion made a TD saving tackle then Peyton Martin got a key fourth and four stop to keep Cascade out of the end zone. The first 12 minutes ended, 0-0.
Petty scores first TD of the season
The Raiders scored their first TD of the season on the first drive of the second quarter.
Petty got nine yards on the first down then moved the sticks on the next down. Cascade shoe string tackled him to keep him out of the end zone. Coaches called his name again on the next two plays.
The Raiders lost their momentum for a bit, then Wise called his own number to fight for the first down on a second and 12 play. On third and goal, Petty scampered into the end zone with 5:55 to play in the half — earning Moore County its first six points of the season. Kicker Jax Ross’s PAT gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead.
Cascade answered with a six-play score by Max Smith. The PAT knotted the score 7-7 with 2:31 to play in the first half.
It would be the Champions lone score of the game.
Moore County immediately answered with a bit of motivational help from the Champions. Wise threw a dart to Cashion on first down to move the sticks then called his own number for seven more yards before being tackled by a swarm of Cascade players, who managed a little extracurricular activity in the pile.
Undaunted, it fueled Wise and company. After a smart timeout to cool things down, the Raiders managed a short gain. Then on fourth and six, Wise connected with an in-stride Cole Taylor for six points. Ross’s PAT gave the Raiders a 14-7 lead with 33 second to play.
If they had visions of a quick score, Moore County’s Cashion and Tristyn Gray gave the Champion’s a big “nope” on the next two downs sending the Raiders into the locker room with a seven-point halftime lead, 14-7.
Raider defense stiffens in the third
And they weren’t finished yet. In the third, the Raider defense squashed Cascade’s opening drive, then Wise and company ate up much of the third period with a long sustained drive — handing the Champions back the ball at the 4:51 mark.
Cashion and Landon Smith, keep Cascade to short yardage, then Moore County handed them a free first down with an offsides call. The Champions couldn’t do anything with the fresh set of downs. With the Raider D breathing down their necks, they got back-to-back holding calls to wander into fourth and 23. They decided to go for it, and Hill squashed the play. They handed over the ball on downs with 13 seconds to play in the quarter.
Petty managed a seven yard run to set up the Raiders second and three to kick off the final stanza. Moore County led Cascade 20-7.
Merical scores two fourth quarter TDs
It took a little over two minutes to add six more. With the Cascade band now playing during each play in an effort to distract the Raiders, Petty and Hill got the Raiders to third and four then Wise connected with Taylor on laser strike. With first and 10 near the red zone, Merical finished the job with a scamper into the end zone. The two point conversion failed — making it 26-7 with 9:51 to play.
Thanks to a big stops by Landon Smith, Aydan Blair, and Gray, the Champions settled for fourth and three. They went for it and Martin said “no sir” with a tackle that reverberated around the stadium.
On the next drive, Wise turned a bumbled snap into six yards, then called his own number for the first down. Merical fought hard for three yards, the Wise tucked and ran towards the left sideline. A duo of Champions hit him hard out of bounds resulting in an unsportsmanlike and a first down. Merical decided to make them pay for it with six more. It would be the last score of the game.
In front of a huge Lynchburg Friday night lights home crowd, the Raiders earned their first W of the season — collecting a 33-7 win over Cascade. After the game, Raider Head Coach Kris White told his team they’d played a great first game.
“Very proud of this group,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we can fix. But be excited guys, a win ain’t easy.”
Chris Merical led for Moore County with two touchdowns. Isaac Petty, Cole Taylor, and Gavin Wise scored six each. Jax Ross was three of four in PATs.
Wise completed six of 16 including a long touchdown pass to Taylor and one interception. Taylor led in receiving with 77 yards and Petty added another 40 through the air.
Petty acted as the workhorse on the ground with 16 rushed for 107 yards. Merical and Wise followed with 70 and 69 yards respectively. Cashion also added two runs for 13 yards.
On defense, Cashion led with nine tackles followed by Petty with five and both Tyler Smith and Landon Smith with four each.
Raider Nation will take the short drive to Lincoln County this week to take on The Fayetteville Tigers, who got an unlucky start to their season with a 48-6 loss at Upperman last Friday. •
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