Winston, coming into the contest with several Patriot players in wrapped casts, braces, and tapped like mummies, added another to their list of casualties, as lineman Blake Prisock suffered a broken wrist early, therefore missing most of the game. As injuries affect any football team, the already suffering Patriots are having to shuffle players from position to position in order to fill the vacancies of the injured. The home team took advantage of the ailing Patriots early and often, as they scored on their opening possession to take an early lead of 7-0 with 9:11 left in the 1st quarter. Winston then faced one of their many punting situations and Oak Hill picked up where they just left off and moved the ball to the Patriot 27 where they attempted a field goal that narrowly missed. The Patriots then picked up where they had left off and faced another punting situation. But of this possession, the Raiders were successful as they scored on a 40 yard pass play with the PAT to follow to take a 14-0 lead as the opening quarter came to an end.
On the following kickoff, disaster hit the Patriots as Graham Purcell fumbled the kickoff to put the Raiders back in business at the Patriot 32 yard line. But luck fell on the Patriots as they recovered a Raider fumble on the following play. Facing another punting situation, Winston kicked to Oak Hill and the Raiders added 3 more points to their lead on a 35 yard field goal with 8:43 left in the half to increase their lead to 17-0. As both teams went on a punting spree for the next few series, Winston then took over with 55 seconds in the half to try to add some points before intermission. But with 30 seconds showing, Pat Peterson suffered an interception to stop the threat and to send the teams into the halftime locker rooms with the Raiders leading 17-0.
With Oak Hill starting the second half with possession, they faced an awakened Patriot defense at the Winston 3 yard line on a 4th and goal situation. The Patriots held and took over on downs to stop the drive and take over with 7:36 left in the 3rd quarter. Facing an iron curtain Raider front defensive wall, the Patriots punted again. After a good return, the Raiders were starting in good field position at the Patriot 31 yard line.
The Patriot defense then stepped up again and held and forced another field goal situation that was successful and the Raiders had increased their lead to 20-0 with 3:22 left. As Winston held the ball for the rest of the 3rd quarter, they started the final quarter with ball possession. It was then with 10:44 left in the 4th quarter, that Winston broke the scoring ice when Chaney Paschal carried it over from 1 yard out.
Paul McMillin's PAT was unsuccessful and the Patriots had cut the lead to 20-7. The Patriots then kept their hopes alive on a successful on side kick and were back in business. But their hopes died when they were stopped at the Raider 35 yard line on a 4th down attempt. With one trick left in their bag and facing their own punting situation, the Raider punter kept the ball and raced 61 yards for the score and the final nail in the coffin as they increased their lead to 27-6 after the PAT. As the final scoring was completed for the night, the Patriots fell to 1-7 for the year. As another powerhouse travels to Winston this Friday night, the Patriots will just add some more tape and patch up the injured, and get ready for Leake Academy. Game time is 7:30.
Post a Comment