Jim Hart/Contributing writer
jimhartrealestate@gmail.com

COURTLAND—The Southampton Academy Raiders took a little time to get going, with only scoring one TD in the first quarter, but started gaining momentum in the second quarter and never let off the gas.

The defense for the Raiders was like a stone wall as well, allowing the Warriors to accumulate only a total of 120 yards. The only touchdown in the first quarter was on a 9-yard run by quarterback Matt Rose with 7:48 left in the first quarter. The 2 point conversion was no good.

The next score came with only 40 seconds used up in the 2nd quarter with a 1 yard run by Tonee Hill. The 2 point conversion was good with a run by QB Rose, bringing the score to 14-0.

Rose was able to snag an interception on the Raider 40 yard line and with 7:33 left in the 2nd quarter, and in the next offensive series, he connected on a 35 yard pass to Triston Holland for a touchdown.

With an unsuccessful 2 point conversion, the Raiders extended their lead to 20-0.

With 3:37 left in the half, Ethan Edwards broke several tackles with a run right up the middle for a 55 yard score. The conversion was no good, raising the score to 26-0.

With yet another strong defensive display, the Raiders were able to stop the Warriors as Rose recovered a Warrior fumble on the Raider 45 and ran it back for a touchdown with 2:06 left in the first half. The 2 point conversion was good with a run by Cameron Hines making the score 34-0.

Tonee Hill took the football in for a touchdown with only 1 minute and 26 seconds used in the second half  The 2 point conversion was good with a run by Rose. This would bring the score to 42-0.

There was one touchdown in the 4th quarter — a 1 yard run by Nate Williams with 4:21 left in the game. The 2 point conversion was no good. This would bring the score to 48-0 and would stand until the end of the game. Note however that the Raiders were poised to strike again following a 43 yard run by Tanner Knecht to the Warrior 1 yard line. The Raiders took a knee to end the game.

The Raiders accumulated a total yardage of 511 yards compared to the opponent’s 120 yards. Rose enjoyed a strong night, completing 7 for 11 passing attempts for 156 yards and 3 touchdown completions. Tonee Hill had 3 receptions for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Triston Holland had 2 receptions for 47 yards and 1 touchdown. The two top rushers for the Raiders were Ethan Edwards with 3 attempts for 122 yards; and Matt Rose with 6 attempts for 65 yards.

At the end of the game, Coach Dale Marks had a lot of praise for his entire team. Marks said, “The hard work that this team has endured during the off season and regular season is paying off. We were a little slow in the beginning and we wanted to work on our passing game. This finally came around a little later on in the game.”

Another strong point brought up by Marks was his recognition of the linemen.

“There is a lot of leadership on our team, and there is a special focus on the linemen who are in there doing the grunt work so the running backs and receivers can have their successes.”

He noted Caleb Bradshaw, Alex Hasty and Todd Thorpe among others that play after play put out 100 percent for the benefit of the team and many times without special recognition.