By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG — The Raiders possess all the ingredients to dominate in Region 5A play: a mobile QB with arm strength, built-solid running backs who know how to run north to south, a solid O line, money receivers, and a defense with a bit of a chip on their collective Columbia blue shoulders. Through the first three games, each facet has shown moments of greatness, but to this point, they haven’t all clicked at once. 

Football is a game of inches, and on Friday, Moore County couldn’t get on the same page. They gave up an inch here and an inch there to suffer a one-point, district loss against Wayne County. 

{Editor’s Note: This year’s Raider’s football coverage is free to all readers thanks to a sponsorship from Greg Guinn Construction, Jack Collectible’s, and Reese’s Athletics.}

Wildcats lead 8-7 at the half 

Neither team could get much going in the first quarter. Finally, with 1:33 to play in the quarter, the Raiders pieced together a six-play drive that put them up 7-0 with 33 seconds to play. 

The drive started with a handoff to Chris Merical for a first down, followed by an incomplete pass. On second and 10, Merical scampered through the heart of the Wildcat defense for another first down. The Wildcats stuffed Merical on the next down, then Raider QB Gavin Wise connected with Cole Taylor to set up first and goal. Isaac Petty muscled into the end zone for the first score of the game. Jax Ross’s PAT gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead with 33 seconds to play in the quarter. 

The Raiders D stood strong on the Wildcats next series. Logan Cashionand Trenton Sanders kept the Wildcats to short yards to put them in third and seven. Then, Tripp Hammond got a big sack on the Wayne County QB in the backfield to take the wind out of the series. They punted on fourth and seven. 

Moore County imploded on the next drive with four penalties in five plays. Refs called Wise for intentional grounding third and 22 to force the punt — handing the Wildcats back the ball with 10:08 to play in the half. 

The Wildcats answered with an eight-play drive that resulted in first and goal. Wildcat Beavis then pushed forward for six. The successful two point conversion gave them the lead, 8-7. 

Wildcats score go ahead with a minute to play 

The Wildcats got the ball first in the second half. They put together a long, sustained, 12-play series that ate up nearly seven minutes off the play clock. 

On first and 10, Petty got a tackle for a five-yard loss to make it second and 15. On the next down, Cashion kept a Wildcat QB keeper to short yards and then Sanders stood strong to make it third and 11. After a timeout, the Wildcat pass fell incomplete and Wayne County turned over the ball on downs.  

With new life on first and 10 at the 35, Wise handed off to Petty for six yards then called his number three more times. Petty converted on fourth and one to move the sticks. A roughing the passer call gave Moore County an extra first down, then Petty earned four more. 

On third and one, Petty converted again to keep Moore County alive. On first and 10, Wise handed off to Petty again, who found the end zone with three seconds to play in the half. Ross’s PAT gave the Raiders a 14-8 lead with three seconds to play in the third. 

The Wildcats fumbled as time expired the the quarter to give the Raiders the ball back to start the fourth. 

The drive looked promising. Wise handed off to Petty then completed a pass to Brantley Hill but the big play got called back on a false start. Petty got another five yards then Wise connected with Hill again who ran to the end zone but the play got called back and the Raiders turned the ball over. The two teams traded turnovers, then Wayne County scored with one minute to play to earn the 15-14 lead. Moore County had a chance at the win, but Wise coughed up the ball essentially ending the game. 

Petty led on offense and Cashion led on defense

On offense, Gavin Wise threw seven of 18 for 86 yards (38 percent). Moore County put up 240 yards of total offense – seven catches for 86 yards and 29 rushes for 154 yards. Isaac Petty led with 12 points and Jax Ross was two of two in PATs.

Through the air, Isaac Petty led in receiving yards with 47 followed by Cole Taylor with 24 and Brantley Hill with 15. Hill had two big catches for a score called back on penalties. On the ground, Petty led with 66 yards followed closely by Chris Merical with 55. Wise added 28 on his feet, and Logan Cashion contributed five.

Petty pieced together his third 100 plus yard game in a row.

On defense, Logan Cashion led with 10 tackles. He also forced a fumble. Peyton Martin followed with eight. Trenton Sanders, Buddy Qualls, and Landon Smith all added seven tackles each. Tripp Hammond contributed five including a crucial backfield sack. Both Brantley Hill and Aydan Blair added four tackles each. Blair also added a sack and recovered a fumble. Isaac Petty managed three and Tucker Smith added another two.

Moore County will head to Class 5A Franklin County next Friday in a game where the Rebels will be looking for revenge. Class 1A Moore County beat them 41-24 last season … on homecoming no less. {To read our complete coverage of that game, click here.| The Rebels come into the game; however, winless in the 2024 season. •