Page 8B October 30, 2019
iR orter
MP FOOTBALL
+Continued from 1 B'
Son said. "It's not the way we
anted it tO go. We're just
hot gonna talk about it any-
more. It's over with. I don't
hranna hear one person say
a-woLd about it. We've got to
press forward. We've got to
gome back to work. We've
got to come back to prac-
tice. There's still something
out there we can get. Itkl be
race to be the two seed or
the three seed or something
like that and go do stuff.
We're at a point now where
fllis thing can go two ways.
tt can go in a positive way or
kcan go in a negative way.
It's up to them (MP play-
ers) and their decision on
What they want to do. But
I told them we're not going
to talk about it anymore. If
anybody wants to point the
finger or blame anybody,
can blame me because
it wasn't good."
" The MP offense was
especially anemic on Frida5
accumulating just 138 total
yards, induding 54 on the
ground. MP freshman
quarterback Logan Hick-
man experienced his first
major setback as a starter,
throwing interceptions on
three consecutive passes
from late in the second
quarter to early in the third
quarter. West Laurens' of-
fense turned all three picks
into touchdowns as the
Raiders turned a 7-7 game
seconds before halftime into
a 28-7 advantage less than
five minutes into the third
quarter. Raiders' senior
quarterback A.]. Mathis had
a huge night in his third and
final career start against the
Bulldogs, completing 12
of 24 passes for 221 yards
with two touchdowns and
two interceptions. The
Raiders' running game also
dominated the second half,
accounting for 347 yards
and five touchdowns, all in
the last two quarters.
After three straight Mathis
incompletions led to an ear-
ly West Laurens punt, it was
the Bulldogs who nearly got
on the scoreboard first. MP
went on a 15-play drive that
lasted just over seven min-
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utes, which included Hick-
man's signature individual
play of the season, a spin
move that eluded two Raid-
ers' pass rushers and led to a
15-yard scramble. However,
MP could get no closer than
West Laurens' 10-yard-line
as the Dogs' offense stalled
on a failed third-down
throw into the end zone
intended for Moore. But
normally reliable MP kicker
Julian Rivera shanked his
29-yard field goal try short
and fight, and the game
remained scoreless.
After taking possession at
their own 20-yard-line, the
Raiders then marched me-
ticulously down the field.
Despite a pair of holding
penalties negating big plays,
Mathis connected five times
on the series for a total of
59 yards to favorite receiver
Brent Carr. final hook-
up resulted in a 13-yard
touchdown on a left screen
in which Carr dove head-
first across the goal line.
Cam Coup booted the extra
point to put the Raiders in
front 7-0 with 11:09 left in
the second quarter.
MP's offense went three-
and-out on the Dogs' next
possession, but it was MP'S
defense that would tie
the game moments later.
Mathis made his first of two
critical first-half miscues
when he threw behind his
receiver near midfield. MP
senior cornerback Rico
Harden, playing his final
regular season home game,
caught Mathis' errant throw
at MP's 45-yard-line and
raced 55 yards down the
right sideline for a score.
Hardens TD was made
possible by a bonecrushing
lead block administered by
his younger brother Kdvin
Harden at the Raiders'
10-yard-line. Rivera's extra
point tied the contest at 7
with 8:32 left in the second
quarter.
In an ensuing possession
that lasted nearly seven
minutes, West Laurens
advanced past midfield to
MP'S 30-yard-line, convert-
ing a fourth down along the
way. However, Mathis fired
into double coverage in the '
back middle of the end zone
while trying to force a pass
to Carr, and Rico Harden
jumped up and made a
leaping interception to keep
the game knotted at 7.
Thanks to a West Lau-
rens pass interference flag,
the Bulldogs moved to the
Raiders' 43-yard-line with
just under a minute left in
the first half. But with the
Dogs poised to enter half-
time either tied or with the
lead, Hickman threw the
first of three straight inter-
ceptions on an overthrown
screen pass brought in by
West Laurens linebacker
Devonte Royals. With 33
seconds left before halftime,
West Laurens then went
for the jugular. Mathis fired
a deep completion down
the right seam to a wide-
open Bradley Wilson for a
50-yard touchdown pass.
Coup's extra point with 24
seconds left in the second
period gave West Laurens a
14-7 halftime lead.
After a thrilling halftime
show featuring the Bulldogs'
Brigade Marching Band
and fireworks, the Dogs got
the ball first in the second
half. However, it began
pouring rain, sending many
fans scurrying for shelter
and markedly changing the
dynamics of the game.
On the second play of
the third quarter, Hickman
threw a slick ball directly
to West Laurens linebacker
Exzavier Lewis, camped out
along the MP sideline. Lew-
is' brief retum set the Raid-
ers' up with a short field at
the Dogs' 21-yard-line. The
Raiders got tricky on their
first play of the second half,
calling for a halfback pass
from Daniel Dorsey to Wil-
son. The Raiders' tight end
cut off his route and made a
spectacular catch on an un-
derthrown ball, purportedly
getting his hand underneath
the pigskin and batting it to
himself for an 18-yard gain
down to the MP 3.
Three plays later, Dorsey
ran left behind an explo-
sive lead block by fullback
D'Eryk Jackson for a one-
yard touchdown run to put
West Laurens up 21-7 with
9:28 left in the third quarter.
Two plays later, things
got worse for MP when
Hickman threw his third
interception in as many
passes. The freshman QB
floated up a jump ball over
the middle intended for
Rico Harden, but Royals
outwrestled Harden for the
football to record his second
pick of the contest.
Starting again in Dogs'
territory at MP'S 47-yard-
line, it took West Laurens
four plays to hit paydirt.
Running back Shonta Bur-
ney Jr. took a Mathis hand-
off and darted
right before
cutting back left across the
field and racing just inside
the front left pylon for a
33-yard touchdown run.
Coup's extra point put West
Laurens ahead 28-7 with
7:17 left in the third quarter,
and seemingly in a flash the
Bulldogs went from tied
and dry to trailing by 21
and soaking wet.
With a feisty West Lau-
rens team smelling blood,
the onslaught would only
get worse. After an MP
three-and-out, the Raiders
marched 54 yards in six
plays, capped by a five-yard
outside left touchdown run
by Dorsey in which Jackson
threw another rib-rocking
lead block. Coup's extra
point put West Laurens in
front 35-7 with 3:04 left in
the third quarter.
After yet another Dogs'
three-and-out, the Raid-
ers nearly put the GHSA
mercy rule in effect on
MP at home for the first
time in recent memory
when Mathis hooked up
with Tyler Franks on an
18-yard touchdown with
seconds left in the third
quarter. However, the play
was nullified by a Raid-
ers' penalty, and the mercy
rule was never invoked.
Therefore, West Laurens
ruthlessly went right back to
dominating MP with Coup
drilling a 41-yard field goal
with 11:44 left in the fourth
quarter to put the Raiders
ahead 38-7.
After a season-best 64-
yard punt by Trippe Moore
pinned West Laurens back
at its own 13-yard-line, it
only took two plays for the
Raiders to add to their lead.
Running back Christian
Covin found a hole on the
right side. He went un-
touched until he blew threw
an arm tackle at midfield
by MP'S Kelvin Harden,
racing away from the Dogs'
defense for an 87-yard
touchdown. Coup's extra
point gave West Laurens
a whopping 45-7 lead
with 8:30 left in the fourth
quarter.
After MP'S fourth straight
punt, it was backup run-
ning back Lorenzo Tumer's
tum to shine as the Raiders'
junior exploded 77 yards
down the left sideline for yet
another Raiders' touch-
down. Coup's seventh and
final PAT of the game put
West Laurens ahead 52-7
for the game's final margin.
Although MP finally mus-
tered two first downs, their
only two of the second half,
on their final possession
of the game, the Bulldogs
could not advance past the
Raiders' 49-yard-line and
were forced to punt for the
sixth and final time.
Hi&man completed just
10 of 24 passes for 84 yards
and three interceptions.
Meanwhile, Rico Harden
tied for MP's high rusher
with just 18 yards on 11
carries. Moore led MP in
receiving with 27 yards on
three receptions.
As for the Raiders, four
West Laurens' backs rushed
for 62 or more yards, led
by Covin, who ran for
126 yards on 11 carries.
Carr was the Raiders' top
receiver with 100 yards and
one touchdown on eight
catches, seven in the first
half.
Twenty-three MP seniors
played the final regular
season home game of their
Dogs' careers on Friday.
The 2019 senior class has
compiled a 38-11 career re-
cord to date, including three
region championships.
+
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