Photo: Matt Dixon breaks free for a 70-yard TD
GOOD HOPE – Addison adjusted on the defensive side of the football after Good Hope's Matt Dixon romped 70 yards on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter of Thursday's spring jamboree at James Shabel Stadium.
Addison turned a Good Hope fumble following the Dixon TD with a short drive to the end zone and pulled out a 14-13 victory in the varsity segment of this spring clash.
The Bulldogs won the first quarter 8-0 in which the junior varsity battled on the gridiron. An entertaining evening began with the middle school teams playing to an 8-8 tie after one half.
For the rest of the night, the Addison defense kept the Raider offense under wraps, allowing Good Hope 38 yards following the 70-yard dash to the end zone.
The fumble by Dixon was due to a solid tackle that caused the ball to get free from the sophomore-to-be runner and the Bulldogs recovered at the Good Hope 23, midway in the third quarter.
Zeb Maze scored the TD from a 17-yard run and added the extra point that put Addison in front at 14-13.
Both varsity teams played a good second period with Good Hope gaining 112 yards on the ground and Addison collecting 87 yards of offense.
The Raiders led 7-0 when they drove the ball 70 yards to the Addison end zone, keyed by good running from Matt Hancock. Hancock tallied 38 yards on four runs in the series and took the ball in from the one with 5:14 remaining in the period. The extra point was kicked by Matthew Rodriguez.
Addison then answered with a 70-yard scoring drive as it ended on a 15-yard speed sweep around left end by Noah Rice and the conversion from Maze. This came with 3:45 to play in the quarter.
Good Hope then drove back into Addison territory and tried to score on the last play of the quarter. But a pass by Preston Bagwell to Kyle Carlton fell incomplete in the end zone and the quarter ended in a 7-7 deadlock.
Getting the ball to start the third period, Dixon blasted up the middle for the longest play of the night. However, Rodriguez's extra point hit the upright and was no good. Good Hope needed just 14 seconds to break the tie and lead 13-7.
Three plays were all the Bulldogs needed to score following the game's only turnover. Maze found an opening up the middle and was in the end zone on a 17-yard run. He tacked on the conversion and Addison led 14-13 with 4:13 showing on the clock in the third.
The Raiders kept the Bulldogs from scoring late in the game when Addison turned the ball over on downs at the Good Hope 14. But Addison's defense dropped Bagwell for two losses, and a pass on fourth down from the Raider 21 fell incomplete. Addison got the ball with 47 seconds to go and ran out the clock following the final time-out called by Good Hope.
Dixon would rush for 115 yards on 12 carries to lead the Good Hope ball carries. Hancock added 49 yards on seven attempts.
But the game changed when Dixon fumbled and on the ensuing drive; the Raiders were called for a chop block that negated a 12-yard first-down run by Hancock. Instead of having the ball at their 32, the Raiders were penalized back to the 10 and could never recover.
Addison's only TD in the junior varsity part of the game was a three-yard run by Jacob Smithson and a two-point conversion with 6:54 to play in the first quarter.
From the middle school game, Good Hope got a 71-yard run by Garrett Bagwell and a two-point play for its TD in the first quarter with 2:58 to go.
Addison answered on a 54-yard run in the second period by Dayson Parker and a two-point pass to even the numbers in which the two would play to a tie.
Addison opens the 2016 season at A.G. Hicks Stadium vs. the Elkmont Red Devils. The season opener for Good Hope comes on Aug. 25 with longtime county rival Vinemont at James Shabel Stadium.
Alan Scott will be in his second season at Good Hope with the Raiders hoping to improve on three victories by a young team in 2015.
