A RAIDERS-EAGLES SLUGFEST | West Rusk comes from behind to get by Tatum, 14-10
NEW LONDON – In a straight-up hard-fought battle of defenses, West Rusk would get the better of Tatum here at Bruce Bradshaw Stadium Friday night.
Tatum led the game 10-0 at the half, but the Raiders would score twice – a 4-yard run by Daylan Williams on their first possession of the second half, and an 8-yard run by quarterback Judson Dotson, also in the third quarter – and then hold the Eagles scoreless for the rest of the game, a 14-10 West Rusk win.
West Rusk is now 3-1, having opened the season at home with a loss to then-sixth-ranked Malakoff, but has reeled off three straight wins. Coach Rafe Mata’s Raiders will open District 11-3A, Division II play next week at home on Friday against Elkhart.
Tatum (1-3), who has played a tough non-district schedule, will be on the road for a second straight week, traveling to Sabine (0-4) for a 7 p.m. Friday start against the Cardinals, still looking for their own first win after a rough night Friday at Arp (ARP FLEXES MUSCLES | Tigers beat Sabine, 61-0, in preparation for showdown with Troup).
Tatum got first crack with the ball Friday night, but a fumble would be recovered by the Raiders’ Syncere Cleaver and end the drive early.
West Rust would come out and have a fumble of its own, recovered by Tatum’s Dre Martinez.
The back-and-forth would continue, just good defensive football and each team forcing the other to punt, throughout a scoreless first quarter.
The Raiders began the second quarter with a pass from Dotson to the dangerous Gunner Harp, who took it to the Raiders’ 40-yard-line. A run by Hunter McCandless of 15 yards, to the Tatum 45, gave the Raiders’ crowd something to cheer about, but then disconnect on a pitch from Dotson would be recovered by Tatum’s Qwardai Peoples.
Peoples returned to the Raiders’ 11 and set Tatum up with great field position.
The drive stalled out a bit, though, as West Rusk held Tatum to a 27-yard field goal by Kody Hines. But the Eagles had claimed a 3-0 lead with 8:05 left in the half.
After forcing a three-and-out by the Raiders, the Eagles would get it at their own 35, moving the ball on runs by Issac McAlister and Dameon Pippins.
A short pass from Adcock to Logen Tovar, that Tovar took to the 50, kept the drive alive, and Pippins and Kyson George on running plays to do the same.
Adcock hit McAlister on a pass to West Rusk’s 35. George and Adcock alternated runs, until finally Adcock punched it into the end zone from 2 yards out. Hines hit the extra point, and made it 10-0 Tatum at the half.
That’s when the Raiders began their comeback, opening the second half at their own 30.
After back-to-back passes from Dotson to Kam Brown, West Rusk got a 6-yard run by McCandless to move the ball to the own 44. Dotson connected with Harp again to the Eagles 45, then found Brown for 15 more, to the Tatum 30.
West Rusk found itself in a fourth-down situation, but converted, a pass from Dotson to Harp to Tatum’s 12-yard-line.
Williams, on a run, got the Raiders to the Eagles’ 4, and Williams got the next call, too, a 4-yard TD run. The point after by Lewis Abelardo got West Rusk within three, 10-7, with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter.
Tatum, really needing to run time off the clock AND score, couldn’t do either on its next possession, as West Rusk’s defense this time rose to the occasion.
The teams swapped punts, still in the third quarter, and West Rusk managed possession at Tatum’s 44.
On first down, maybe the play of the night: Williams burst a big one, all the way down to Tatum’s 18, for 26 yards.
McCandless gained 10, to the Tatum 8, and then Dotson would hit what would be the biggest shot of the night: an 8-yard touchdown run. Abelardo’s extra point made it 14-10 Raiders with 2:13 left in the third quarter, and the fourth-quarter defensive stands would allow no more: that would be the game’s final score.
