By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER
LYNCHBURG — The punter got the night off on Friday in Lynchburg as the Moore County Raiders and Forrest Rockets played a punch, counterpunch offensive battle with just one defensive stop. The Raiders played determined offense and bend-but-don’t-break defense when it mattered to piece together a 46-37 win over a good 2A Forrest team.
The Raiders are now tied for third place in Region 5A with Eagleville and Huntland. Previously unbeaten Richland fell to Eagleville on Friday – giving Moore County a path to post-season play. If the Columbia blue Raiders can beat the Giles County Raiders next Friday, they’re in. If not, Moore County would need Eagleville to lose at Cornerville to stay alive.
Moore County seemed like a team peaking at just the right moment on Friday. Raider QB Gavin Wise and company put up 443 total yards of offense against Forrest – including another 100 plus yard night for stand out running back, Isaac Petty. The Raider D also got crucial stops and two blocked PATs to seal the win. Safety Brantley Hill snagged an interception with less than two minutes to play to seal the win.
{Editor’s Note: This year’s Raider’s football coverage is free to all readers thanks to a sponsorship from Greg Guinn Construction, Jack Collectibles, and Reese’s Athletics.}
Petty scores four first half TDs
Moore County got on the score board first with a 14-play drive that ate up over six minutes of the game clock.
Cole Taylor returned the kick off then Wise got to work under center for Moore County. He handed off to Petty for two straight plays, then Hill connected for the first first down of the game. Wise then handed off to Petty for a loss, and one play later connected with Hill again for a six yard gain. On third and five, Petty pushes for extra yards to earn first and goal. Then on second and inches, Petty went over the top for six. Aiden Webster’s extra point gave Moore County an early lead. With 6:10 to play in the first quarter, Moore County led Forrest 7-0.
Forrest answered quickly. It took them just seven plays to answer when a Rocket ran left for six. Raider Logan Cashion blocked the PAT to allow Moore County to keep the lead. With 2:22 to play in the first quarter, the Raiders led Forrest 7-6.
Cashion returned the ensuing kick off to 29 and then an illegal substitution penalty made it first and 10 at the 19. On the next down, Wise handed off to Petty, and he ran right up the gut for six. Webster’s point after sailed through the uprights. With 1:48 to play in the first, Moore County added to their lead, 14-6.
The first quarter ended with the Rockets driving.
Forrest finished what they started in the second quarter. Moore County’s Tucker Smith defended a first and 10 pass, then a Rocket caught the left edge and outran the Moore County defender for six. The two point conversion failed. With 11:03 to play in the second quarter, Moore County held on to a narrow, two-point lead, 14-12.
Wise went to Petty, Taylor, Hill, Cashion, and Chris Merical to convert on the next series. The Raiders set up first and 10 at the 32, then Wise handed off to Petty for eight yards. Taylor converted, then Wise called his own number for two yards. On second and eight, he connected with Hill for three yards to make it third and five. Another handoff to Petty got the Raiders to fourth and one. As the O-line pushed, Petty picked up the first down. Wise then handed off to Cashion for nine more yards. Now in the red zone, Wise handed off to Merical for another first down. With 7:33 to play in the first half, Petty managed to get free on the left side for his third TD of the night. Webster’s extra point was good — giving Moore County a 21-12 lead.
Again the Forrest answered quickly. It took them just three plays to give a Rocket runningback a chance to muscle in for six. The Forrest extra point made it 21-19 with 6:30 to play in the half.
Moore County won the time of possession battle again on the next series. They pieced together a drive by Wise, Merical, and Hill to make it fourth and inches. Petty converted, then Wise picked up eight yards on the next play. On second and two, Merical picked up another first down. With everyone covered, Wise again tucked in and ran left. An outstanding block by Tristyn Gray allowed him to scramble towards the goal line. It then took Petty two tries to earn the score. The PAT missed. With 2:36 to play in the half, Moore County added to their lead, 27-19.
Forrest again answered quickly — giving their defense little time to recover. With just a minute to play in the half, they pulled within two points off a receiving touchdown. At the half, Moore County led Forrest 27-25.
Cashion blocks second PAT in second half
Forrest got the ball first in the second half. Webster kicked off and then made the touchdown-saving tackle as the return man found a seam. Five plays later, a Rocket muscled in for six points. Cashion again blocked the extra point. With 8:23 to play in the third, Forrest took back the lead, 31-27.
They didn’t keep it long. Wise used Merical and Hill for short yards then connected with Cashion on a long bomb. Cashion ran to the goal line setting up another Petty score. The PAT failed. With 5:58 to play in the third, the Raiders took back the lead, 33-31.
Forrest again answered when a Rocket ran straight ahead for six. The Rocket two point conversion failed. With just a minute to play in the third, the Rockets took back the lead, 37-33.
A Forrest onsides kick attempt failed and the third quarter ended with Moore County driving.
Moore County finished what they started in the first 49 seconds of the fourth quarter when Wise handed off to Merical for six points. Webster’s PAT gave Moore County a 40-37 lead with 11:11 to play.
Moore County got their first stop of the game on the next series. Landon Smith got a tackle in the backfield for a loss but refs called Forrest for holding to make it first and 20. Peyton Martin held them to just five yards on the next down, then the Forrest QB threw an incompletion. They managed a first down but a personal foul put them back at second and 30. Tucker Smith got a stop for no gain on the next play. Forrest went for it on fourth and 20 but turned the ball over on downs.
Merical did the heavy lifting on the next series — completing two first downs before a Wise keeper set up first and goal. Petty then went in under center and called his own number for six more. With 4:48 to play, Moore County went up 46-37.
The Moore County defense stood strong in the final Rocket series. Landon Smith stopped a handoff for no gain, then Cashion tackled the Forrest QB in the backfield. Hill defended a pass for an incompletion, then Landon Smith again stood firm for short gain. Then on third and eight, Brantley Hill sealed the Raider win with an interception.
Petty led with six touchdowns
Junior Isaac Petty led for Moore County with six touchdowns and fellow junior Chris Merical added one more. Senior Aiden Webster was four of seven on point after attempts.
Raider QB Gavin Wise completed on 15 of 18 passes for 188 yards and rushed for another 104. Isaac Petty added 86 rushing yards followed by Chris Merical with 53 and Cole Taylor with 12. Logan Cashion was the top receiver with 64 yards followed closely by Brantley Hill with 62. Petty added 27. Merical had two catches for 22 yards, and Taylor added 13 more.
Sophomore Tucker Smith had another standout defensive game with 10 tackles. Logan Cashion, Brantley Hill, and Landon Smith followed him with seven tackles each. Cashion managed two blocked field goals and Hill snagged the game-winning interception.
Following the game, Raider Head Coach Kris White told his team he was proud of the way they fought.
“We didn’t play very well on defense tonight, so hats off to the offense for keeping us in it,” Coach White said. “If we can fix what we need to fix on defense and keep the offense going, we can keep playing. Eagleville beat Richland. We’ve still got a shot at winning the region.”
Moore County plays their final regular season game at Region 5A foe Richland next Friday night. Kick off will take place at 7 p.m.•
{The Lynchburg Times is the hometown newspaper of Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We cover sports for both Moore County High School and Motlow State. Don’t read about the game a week later, get next day coverage at our website and give us a follow on Facebook.}