Sophmore quarterback Zack Taylor (10) finds a gap in the Raiders’ offensive line. | Michael Young, The People Sentinel
BLACKVILLE – The potential brunt of Hurricane Florence caused the Richard Winn and Jefferson Davis Academy game to be moved to Wednesday, but the result was still a game that came down to the wire. The Eagles nearly broke their two-game losing streak, but Zack Taylor’s three touchdown passes were not enough to stop a 38-36 Raiders victory. Jefferson Davis scorched the Eagles for 366 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Jimmy Bozard, the Raiders’ elusive running back, gave his team the early edge after he ripped through the Eagle defense for a 26-yard score. Richard Winn answered back on their next drive on the first of Taylor’s three touchdown passes. Just five plays after Bozard’s score, Taylor found Hudson Wade for a 27-yard touchdown.
Richard Winn threatened a score on their next drive, but the Raiders’ came up with a clutch interception on the four-yard line. Jefferson Davis could not translate the turnover into points and was forced into a punt.
Time had nearly dwindled away in the first quarter when Richard Winn took their first lead of the game. Taylor ignited the drive with 26-yard scramble, then, on the following play, Jimmy Mckeown was the recipient of a 38-yard touchdown pass from Taylor. The long scoring play gave the Eagles a 16-8 advantage after a quarter.
A quick Jefferson Davis three-and-out and punt led off the second quarter. Brandon Miller took the first handoff after the Raiders punt and promptly burned through the defense for an 86-yard touchdown.
The rest of the quarter was quiet until the final two minutes. After a short Richard Winn punt with just over a minute to go in the half, Bozard trimmed the Richard Winn lead down to 22-14 with a 17-yard score.
The Eagles got possession of the ball with under a minute to go and a 66-yard Luke Martin run broke the drive open. Taylor followed up Martin’s huge gain with a four-yard rushing score. The Eagles led 29-14 at the end of the second, but Jefferson Davis ripped off a 24-0 run in the second half.
Both offenses were quiet for most of the third quarter until a late charge by the Raiders. They grinded their way from their own 20 to inside the Richard Winn five-yard line, but the Eagles’ defense spoiled a fourth conversion.
After the turnover on downs, the Eagles were stranded deep in their own territory, and on the first play of the drive they coughed up the ball. The Raiders recovered the fumble, and Bozard scored from two yards out on the next play.
The Raiders went on to score on their next two possessions and put the game just out of the Eagles’ reach. Trent Jamison scored a 17-yard touchdown to give Jefferson Davis a 30-29 lead. Bozard gave them a 38-29 advantage with a 10-yard touchdown with just two minutes left.
The Eagles answered on their next play from scrimmage. Taylor and McKeown connected again for a 54-yard touchdown, their second of the night, that cut the lead down to three. The Eagles needed to recover a crucial onside kick to stay alive, but they were not able to pull it in.
Richard Winn has a chance to end the three game skid at home this week against Clarendon Hall.
JDA – 8-6-8-16-38
RWA – 16-13-0-6-35
First Quarter
JDA– Jimmy Bozard 26 run (Mitchell Webster run). 9:49.
RWA -Hudson Wade 27 pass from Zack Taylor (Z.Taylor run). 8:29.
RWA – Jimmy McKeown 38 pass from Z.Taylor (Marshall Gibbons run).:58.
Second Quarter
RWA– Brandon Miller 86 run (B.Miller run no good). 11:04.
JDA– J.Bozard 17 run (Run no good).1:12.
RWA – Z.Taylor 4 run(B.Miller kick).:15.
Third Quarter
JDA– J.Bozard 2 run (Trent Jamison run).2:40.
Fourth Quarter
JDA-T.Jamison 17 run (T.Jamison run).2:40.
JDA– J.Bozard 10 run (T.Jamison run).2:40.
RWA – J.McKeown 54 pass from Z.Taylor (B.Miller kick no good).
INDIVIDUAL STATS:
Rushing: Luke Martin 8-98, Zack Taylor 18-85, Brandon Miller 2-80.
Receiving: Jimmy McKeown 4-11, Hudson Wade 2-64, Luke Martin 1-1.
Passing: Zack Taylor 7-14, 176 yards, three touchdowns, one interception. Luke Martin 0-1.
