Second Half Charge Lifts Eagles Over Raiders

BLACKVILLE (Oct. 24, 2016) – Richard Winn headed to Blackville Friday knowing they needed another win to maintain their lead in region play and solidify their position for the upcoming playoffs. The Eagles (7-2, 3-0) did just that, scoring the game’s last 22 points to rout the Jefferson Davis Raiders 36-14.

The win keeps the Eagles atop the standings over King Academy and Andrew Jackson Academy in the SCISA 8-Man Region I.

Coach Robert O’Connell knew the importance of this game for potential playoff implications and wanted to make sure his team got the message.

“I wanted our guys to understand to not get complacent on the road knowing if we continue our streak of wins we can host the playoffs in our own backyard,” O’Connell said.

Despite the message the Eagles and the Raiders ended the first quarter tied at 14 as the Raiders were able to compete on both ends of the ball.

Peyton Gilbert kicked off the second quarter with a 60-yard touchdown reception giving the Eagles a 20-14 lead. Both defenses put on a great display causing both Richard Winn and Jefferson Davis to stall on multiple possessions in the second quarter.

“I thought both defenses played amazing tonight, but I feel we had some mental mistakes as well on offense that prevented many touchdown opportunities tonight for us,” O’Connell said.

The defensive display continued into the second half. Eagles quarterback Mitchell Gibbons ended that trend with a touchdown and 2-point conversion giving the Eagles a 28-14 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Zack Taylor put a stamp on the game in the fourth quarter hitting Christian Christianson with a 30-yard touchdown pass. Taylor also connected with Christianson on the 2-point conversion to give RWA a 36-14 lead.

“Despite our short comings sometimes throughout the game, I am proud of our guys’ ability to preserver and continue to play their game,” O’Connell said. “Now we get to face a good King Academy team at home next week and hope to continue this streak as the playoffs near.”

With the win Richard Winn improves their record 7-2 overall and 3-0 in the region. They host King Academy (8-0, 3-0) this Friday at 7:30 pm for a key region matchup.

 

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