{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.}

Story By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

FAYETTEVILLE — Sometimes the ball bounces the Raiders’ way and some times it doesn’t. Moore County suffered it’s first loss of the 2024 season on Friday — falling to the Fayetteville Tigers in the last seconds by a one touchdown margin.

The Raiders earned a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds left to play, but the Gavin Wise to Cole Taylor pass went through the receivers fingertips resulting in a 35-28 non-district loss on Friday night. The loss drops Moore County to a 1-1 overall season record and improved Fayetteville to 1-1.

Moore County came into the game fresh of a season-opening 33-7 home win over Cascade while Fayetteville took a 48-6 beat down at Class A runner up Upperman last week. {To read out complete coverage of the Cascade game, click here.}

Missed PAT gives Tigers the first quarter lead

Moore County won the toss and elected to receive, but just as the Raider captain informed the white hat of their preference lightening struck — resulting in an hour and a half game delay. Once the storm clouds cleared, the two teams returned to a damp, muggy field.

Moore County went to work first and used Isaac Petty to do the heavy lifting. On second and five, Wise handed off to Petty who muscled up the middle for the Raiders first six points. The PAT missed giving Moore County an early 6-0 lead.

The Tiger played time of possession on their first drive — piecing together a 14-play series that resulted in a Samuel Willoughby to Quasean Black touchdown pass on fourth and 14. Then Tiger kicker’s PAT sailed through the upright giving them a one-point lead, 7-6, with 2:12 to play in the first.

Tigers tie it with 25 second to play in the first

On the first Tiger possession, Petty snagged an INT — giving Moore County back the ball. The Tigers forced third and six then flags flew as Fayetteville committed pass interference — handing Moore County an extra 15 years. Wise called Petty’s number on the next two plays. He ran up the gut again on second and four to earn Moore County’s second score of the night. A Wise to Logan Cashion pass on the two point conversion made it 14-7 with 9:53 to play in the first half.

Fayetteville managed another long, sustained 11-play drive that resulted in a game-tying TD on the next drive. The Tigers went for it on fourth down. Willoughby went to his favorite receiver, Black, again for the six. The PAT tied the game, 14-14 with 4:03 to play in the second.

The Tigers picked off a pass intended for Taylor with 25 second to play, but couldn’t do anything with it. The two teams went into the halftime locker room tied at 14.

Petty scores third TD in the third

The Moore County defense woke up in the second half. The Tigers got the ball first and fumbled on a trick lateral play on the second down of the second half. Moore County’s Petty earned a first down then the drive fell apart with Moore County turning the ball over on downs on fourth and 22 following an ill-advised pass into double coverage.

The Tigers took over and immediately earning another holding call that put them in a first and 20 hole. They picked up nine yards, then Landon Smith managed a tackle for a loss. A Tiger false start made it third and 15. Willoughby handed off to Kveon Henderson but Moore County’s Tucker Smith stopped the play — forcing a fourth and three punt with 5:20 to play in the third.

A block in the back penalty on the the next Moore County series put the Raiders in a hole. They punted on fourth and 22 but the Tigers blocked Peyton Martin’s punt and ran short yards into the end zone for a quick six. The PAT gave the Tigers a 21-14 lead with 4:24 to play in the third.

The Tigers handed Moore County yards with an offsides call on the kick off and the Raiders made them pay for it. Wise called Petty’s name on the first four plays to earn two first downs then connected with Cashion for nine more. On second and one, Wise went back to Petty who lost a yard before converting on fourth and three to earn the first down. On first and goal, Petty scored his third touchdown of the game to tie it 21-21 with 29 seconds to play in the third.

Chippy fourth quarter

The Tigers quickly finished what they started at the end of then third with a quarterback keeper from Willoughby to earn back the lead, 28-21 with less than a minute ticked off the fourth quarter clock.

The Raiders pieced together a long drive on their next possession but a holding and false start found them in a third an 15 hole. Wise called his own number to earn nearly half those yards back, then connected with Tucker Smith to keep the drive alive. Another holding call and three consecutive incomplete passes resulted in another Martin punt on fourth and 20.

Fayetteville may play in Class 2A now but the rivalry and history of these two teams remains. Things got a bit chippy down the stretch. The Tigers muffed the kick off return and got another unsportsmanlike call on the next drive to stall it — resulting in fourth and 14 near their own end zone.

On the ensuing kickoff, Taylor ran it back all the to the five yard line, then Petty finished the drive for his fourth TD of the night. Jax Ross’s PAT tied the game again at 28-28 with 5:13 to play.

Moore County’s Landon Smith snuffed out the run play on the first play of the next Tiger series, but the elusive Willoughby got loose and ran for six more points on the second down to score the go-ahead points. Fayetteville led the Raiders 35-28 with a little under four minutes to play.

Moore County seemed a little out of steam on their final offensive possession. Taylor returned the ball to the 41, then Wise threw back-to-back incomplete passes to find themselves in third and 10. A false start made it five yards harder to earn the comeback win. They punted on fourth and 15 to hand the Tigers back the ball with 3:09 to play.

The Tiger couldn’t get anything going on their next drive and punted on fourth and six to hand Moore County back the ball with 2:12 to play.

Wise threw an incomplete pass then connected with Petty for a fresh set of downs. Petty got a hard-earned one-yard run then Wise called his own name for four more. He called his own name again on the next play for a modest one-yard play. On fourth an four, Wise had Taylor in stride down the left side but the ball wa slightly overthrown and passed threw the receiver’s hands.

On offense, Isaac Petty scored all four of Moore County’s touchdowns for 16 points. Logan Cashion added a two point conversion and Jax Ross was two of three on PATs for two points.

On defense, Brantley Hill, Peyton Martin, and Isaac Petty all led with five tackles each. Petty also added an interception and Martin managed two sacks. They were followed closely by Tristyn Gray, Landon Smith, and Tucker Smith with four tackles each.

The Raiders will open district play at Eagleville next Friday.•

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