TURNOVERS COSTLY FOR ‘NECKS | Roughnecks play well, but lose shootout in Atlanta in district opener

Playing a schedule like coach Michael Ludlow’s Roughnecks play, going to be almost impossible to come out unscathed, and White Oak finally slipped on Friday night in the District 8-3A, Division I opener. But the Roughnecks have plenty of football left in them, and in their season.

The ‘Necks scored first, actually, in the contest, a 59-yard pass from Jaxsen Ludlow to one of his favorite targets, Tyson McKinney, for a score. Brady Prazak tacked on the extra point and just like that, with 10 minutes left in the opening quarter, White Oak led 7-0.

Atlanta quarterback Peyton Harrison connected with Markeylin Batton for a 16-yard pass for a first down to midfield, the key play on a drive that would end with Batton in the end zone on a 13-yard score, tying the game at 7-all with eight minutes left in the quarter.

Two minutes later, White Oak would be back in front, courtesy of a 37-yard Ludlow pass to Logan Ladwig for a score, and that, with Prazak’s point after, would put the ‘Necks back in front, 14-7.

Batton, though, would tie it moments later on a 63-yard run, and Sye Stroman gave the Rabbits the ball back with an interception at midfield. Harrison connected with Jayden Riley for a 44-yard touchdown pass that gave Atlanta its first lead of the game (21-14).

The Roughnecks punched right back, though, after their defense recovered a fumble – Junior Allen would punch it in on a 2-yard run, behind his offensive line, but the point after was missed. White Oak would be a point back – 21-20.

And Stroman made it huge immediately, taking the kickoff back for a 68-yard touchdown. The Rabbits would miss their own point after, leaving them up by just a TD (27-20).

Two completions from Ludlow to Ladwig quickly had the ‘Necks in scoring position, all the way down to Atlanta’s 15, and Allen would do the honors, his second touchdown of the night, again from 2 yards out. The extra point was missed again, though, and White Oak was still back a point, 27-26.

Turnovers continued to hurt both teams. The WO defense took the ball away on the Rabbits’ next possession, a fumble recovery, but as the ‘Necks got into Atlanta’s red zone, Harrison, playing defense, picked off a pass, an interception for Atlanta at his own 19.

A pass from Harrison to Braylyn Rowe set the Rabbits up at the White Oak 33, and then Harrison connected with Decrevea Range for a 33-yard TD. This time, C.J. Whaley did hit the extra point and Atlanta had an eight-point lead (34-26).

It would go up by a score. Batton got loose for a 45-yard TD, his second rushing score of more than 40 yards, and then Jayden Riley got in for the two-point conversion (42-26 Atlanta).

With the Roughnecks trying to answer, Stroman would get another interception, this time at his own 12, and then heartbreak for White Oak, as Harrison connected with Batton for an 88-yard touchdown with less than a minute before halftime. Yes, all of that was in the first half, and the Rabbits led 50-26 at the break. Harrison’s two-point conversion run was good, and Atlanta had scored three consecutive touchdowns without a White Oak response.

The Roughnecks tried an onside kick to begin the second half, but it failed, and after a p26-yard pass from Harrison to Jayden Riley, Atlanta would score again on a 17-yarder from Harrison to Whaley. Whaley hit his own extra point, and up the lead to 57-26.

After all of the scoring in the first half, Whaley’s TD would be the only points of the third quarter.

Batton broke free in the early moments of the fourth for a 67-yard touchdown (64-26), and Ludlow and Ladwig would connect later for a 67-yard score (64-33).

Marshawn Woodberry scored the final points for Atlanta, a 42-yard run (70-33), and White Oak’s Braydon Bratcher would get the final score of the game, a 48-yard pass from Ludlow, his fourth TD throw of the night.

White Oak (4-1 overall, 0-1 in District 8-3A, Division I play) will have an open date this coming Friday, and then host Jefferson on Oct. 11. Atlanta (4-1, 1-0), winners of four straight since losing their season opener to 4A’s Pleasant Grove, visits Jefferson this Friday.