WEST RUSK ESCAPES | Raiders edge Gladewater, 15-14

GLADEWATER – A Thursday night matchup between two of the most steady programs in Class 3A didn’t disappoint here at Jack V. Murphy Stadium, although the home crowd did leave unhappy.

Gladewater, unbeaten for first-year head coach Jermaine Lewis coming into the contest, scored first, but wound up on the wrong end of the score, as West Rusk receiver Kameron Brown made a circus-like catch in the end zone; Jalyan Gardner caught a deflected ball for a two-point conversion; Adrian Vargas blocked a potential game-tying extra point; and the Raiders left with a 15-14 win.

Coach Rafe Mata and the Raiders have won back-to-back games, and they’re 2-1 on the season, their only loss a setback to state-ranked Malakoff in the season opener. West Rusk will have another big game next week, this one at home, against rival Tatum (who hosts Newton Friday night).

Lewis and the Bears are also 2-1, and will try to bounce back from the narrow loss with another game at home next Friday against Spring Hill.

Gladewater’s first possession was a ball-control masterpiece. The Bears took the kickoff, and talk about “methodically marching:” they began on their own 33-yard-line and didn’t stop until they reached the end zone – some 10 minutes of game-time later.

Gladewater back Carsin Cooper got maybe only a yard on the first play of the game, running into West Rusk’s Sincere Cleaver.

Two plays later, West Rusk had the Bears in third and long, and Gladewater quarterback Achilles Hess completed the ball right past the first down marker, to Grafton Morgan for about 10 yards.

On another third-down situation after a Gladewater time-out, Hess swung a pass out to Aubry Floyd, who bobbled it at first, then got a hold on it for 11 yards, out of bounds at West Rusk’s 39-yard-line.

Between Hess, Watts and Cooper, the Bears alternated carries all the way down to West Rusk’s 16. The first quarter clock just ran and ran, as Gladewater made its methodical march.

West Rusk blew up the running play by Cooper, and kept Gladewater at the 9, a second down and goal. A second-down run yielded not a single foot, and Watts got a yard on third down.

It was fourth-and-goal from the 8 when Hess rolled out and found Jacoby Crosby in the back of the end zone for the first score of the game. The Bears added a two-point conversion, and Gladewater had an 8-0 lead, all of that with just 2 ½ minutes left in the quarter.

The kickoff was a squib kick – maybe an onside kick attempt? – that West Rusk’s Tristan Castillo recovered at the Raiders’ 29.

Dotson came on to lead the Raiders’ offense, and Daylon Williams, the running back, got a solid 4 yards on the first offensive play from scrimmage by West Rusk.

Crosby, playing defense, wrapped up Williams for a loss of 8, all the way back to the Raiders’ 25. Dotson’s third-down pass fell incomplete, and Brown came on to punt.

He DRILLED it, and got a West Rusk bounce, all the way back to Gladewater’s 30 – no return there.

Hess came back out to operate, faked it and burst around his own line to his left, all the way to West Rusk’s 44 for 26 yards.

Another fake handoff and a pass downfield to Floyd, but it fell incomplete; a penalty flag on top of that moved the Bears back 10 yards on a hold, back to the Gladewater 45.

In a first-and-20, Cooper took the pitch-out, but was stopped by West Rusk’s Hunter McCandless after only a yard gain. And that was the final play of the first quarter.

West Rusk only had the ball 1:15 in the quarter.

Gladewater’s Destin Sheridan couldn’t hold on to a pass by Hess downfield on the second-and-19, and on the third-and-long from Gladewater’s 44, after the Bears used their second time-out of the half, another pass. But the receiver couldn’t get to it, and a fourth-and-19 was the end result.

Morgan dropped back to punt, the Bears’ first punt of the game, and got the kick away. There was no return, and the Raiders’ second possession began at their own 21, still inside the first minute of the second quarter.

A running play by Williams was good for just a yard. The second-down play was a loss of 3, and before third-down-and-12, a flag: Gladewater jumped offsides. That left West Rusk in a third-and-7, an incomplete pass, but then another flag.

The Bears were flagged this time for holding, and that gave West Rusk an automatic first down.

After a false start, the Raiders had first and 15 at their own 29. Dotson handed off to Williams for 4.

Flag Day continued, and with 9:42 left in the half, another penalty, another false start, and West Rusk was in second and 16. Dotson, though, was good to Brown for a 16-yarder, and a new set of downs, West Rusk’s first earned first down of the game.

From the West Rusk 44, Dotson completed a pass to the tight end, Jackson, for 5 to the 49.

On third-and-5, a run by #4 got the first down for West Rusk at Gladewater’s 45.

Dotson’s first-down pass downfield was out of reach of the receiver, and second down was a short run for 3.

On third and 7 at the 42, Williams’ offensive line got behind him, and shoved him forward for 5 yards.

The fourth-down and short became a fourth and 7 after yet another penalty, and Dotson was sacked by Mason Budro, turning the ball over on downs.

Gladewater would start its third possession at the 50, with 6:03 left in the half.

It would’ve been hard to contain Watts for the entire game, and he finally broke one, all the way down to the West Rusk 28, tackled there by Ryder Stanley.

Hess himself ran for 10 and a new first down to the 18, but then the Raiders threw him for a 2-yard loss on the first down try.

Second down yielded nothing, and Isaiah Vasquez sacked Hess on third down, a big loss of 11 yards, all the way back to the 30.

Gladewater bobbled the handoff on fourth down and Caiden Landon recovered it for the Raiders, at their own 30.

Dotson scrambled for 4, as the clock ran under three minutes.

His third-down pass was incomplete downfield, leaving the Raiders in fourth down at their own 34.

Brown punted, another good kick, and no return. It rolled all the way to the Gladewater 15, with 2:07 left in the half.

Watts reeled off a 20-yarder, all the way to the 35, right before the two-minute break. On first down, 8 more for Watts, to the 43.

Hess, who has mastered the fake handoff, broke free to West Rusk’s 25 for 32 yards.

The clock rolled under a minute, and after a time-out, Hess completed a pass to Floyd to the 14, West Rusk trying to keep Gladewater out of the end zone and stay within a touchdown at halftime.

A pitch to the left to Floyd got 8, and Gladewater was inside the 5, but the clock expired before the Bears could get a play off (they had no time-outs left). Gladewater led, 8-0, at the break.

The Raiders, who had just 39 yards on abbreviated possessions in the first half, began the second half at their own 25. Brown made the catch at the Gladewater 42, for 31 yards.

Williams got only a yard on first down, and for about 5 on second down. On third and 5, at the 37, following West Rusk’s first time-out of the half, Dotson threw the ball out in the flat to McCandless, who got 14 on the play.

On second and 10 at Gladewater’s 24, just a yard for McCandless.

But on third down, Dotson connected with Gunnar Harp, 18 yards to the 8 for a first-and-goal. Only a yard for McCandless on first down, and on second down, Dotson, rolling to his right, was rushed – the throw was off the turf and incomplete.

On third down, the Raiders were flagged for a chop-block, and pushed back into third and goal at the 20.

When things looked done, desperate on that third-and-goal, that’s when it happened: Dotson found Brown in the back of the end zone. Brown was covered, by Floyd, who had great coverage. But it was a jump ball and Brown came down with it – touchdown, West Rusk.

Mimicking Gladewater on the conversion, Dotson found Gardner in the back of the end zone, and he caught it, tying the game at 8 on a catch off a tipped ball.

Hess went right to work, scrambling free, and then from midfield, all the way to West Rusk’s 32 for a 21-yard gain.

Watts breaks loose for 6, and then Hess was hit immediately at the 24 after a 2-yard gain.

On third and short, maybe 2, at the 24, a 15-yard run from Jeremiah Flanagan set the Bears up with a first-and-goal at the 8.

A false start brought them back to the 13, and after a run play back to the line of scrimmage, West Rusk collected a fumble (it looked like Rex Henshaw came up with the loose ball) and had possession at their own 10, just under four minutes left in the third quarter.

Dotson threw long to Harp, down the West Rusk sideline, and Gladewater was flagged for pass interference. That got West Rusk out of the hole, and moved the line of scrimmage all the way to the 25.

Williams, being pushed by his line – Kaleb Wilson, Kyron Reed, Phoenix Carillo, Max Curry, and Jose Sanchez – got 2, and after a disconnect, Dotson found Brown for a first down, then another on a run by Williams, a 14-yarder to Gladewater’s 47.

A pass downfield to Harp wasn’t caught by Harp, but intercepted by Madaxx Vasquez. But the interception is negated for a pass interference call on the Bears.

That gave WR a first down at Gladewater’s 25. The Raiders picked up 5 on a rush, and then McCandless took the second-down handoff, initially went up the middle, then bounced it outside for 6.

West Rusk got a first down at the 15, and Williams found his way for 5 more to the 10.

The Raiders got one more play off before the end of the third quarter: a 3-yard run by Williams, the last play of the third.

Doston takes the ball himself all the way to the goal line on the third-down play, and gets to the 1. It’s four downs for West Rusk, if need be, as the fourth quarter started.

Williams lost a yard back to the 2 on first down, but scored on the next down, a 2-yard run to give West Rusk a lead for the first time in the game. West Rusk lines up for the extra point and gets it, a 15-8 lead with 10:51 left in the game.

Gladewater punched right back, a 46-yard run by Watts, all the way to West Rusk’s 21. Then, he took it for 4 more on the next down.

Watts got a breather, as Cooper came in on second-and-6, and got the Bears inside the Raiders’ 15, to the 13. Cooper limped off and Watts came right back out (Cooper would return later).

On third-and-2, Watts got that and more, all the way to the 6 and a first-and-goal.

Flannagan scored with 7:05 left, and then another pivotal play in the game.

Morgan lined up to kick the extra point, and the West Rusk line broke through. Vargas blocked the kick, and teammate Tucker Heathco scooped it up. He didn’t score – it looked like Floyd and Grafton Morgan ran him down – but it kept the Raiders in front by a point, 15-14.

West Rusk had to punt to end its next possession, and Gladewater got the ball back at its own 25 with plenty of time: 5:15 left, down by one.

The Bears immediately went to their running game, but stalled out at their own 34, a fourth-and-1.

Hess lined up under center, but turned around and handed the ball deep to Cooper. West Rusk’s defense collapsed on Cooper, and he wound up short of the first down. West Rusk got the ball on a turnover on downs at Gladewater’s 34.

Williams took the handoff, with 2:57 left, and was thrown for no gain – but out of bounds, stopping the clock, the last thing the Raiders needed.

McCandless took the second-down handoff, and weaved and powered his way for 5 yards, to the Bears’ 29.

Dotson called his own number on third down and 5, running toward his sideline. He went out of bounds, but easily got the first down a 14-yard gain all the way to the 15, with 2:37 left.

West Rusk played it safe, and on third and 16, the Raiders run the ball up the middle, and are now in fourth and 16 at Gladewater’s 21, with 1:01 left.

On that fourth down, West Rusk went for it, and didn’t get it. Gladewater took over with one chance left, down 15-14, with 58 seconds remaining.

The drive stalled out at the Bears’ 24, and an incomplete pass gave West Rusk the ball back right there, with 28 seconds left. West Rusk knelt down on the clock, and time expired, with the Raiders winning by one.