GOOD HOPE, Ala. – The Good Hope Raiders were back home Friday night hosting a big regional matchup against Etowah and four quarters weren’t enough for these two teams to settle things. The game was tied at 21 at the half and after a scoreless second half, the Blue Devils were able to edge the Raiders in overtime 28-21.
The Good Hope Raiders kicked off to the Blue Devils to start the ball game. It was a short high kick that was fumbled by the Blue Devil and recovered by Mason Drake. Starting from the Blue Devils’ 39-yard line, the Raiders lost 3 yards on their first two plays before Tyler Cone found some daylight and took one 19 yards down to the 23. Tucker Malin moved the ball down to the 10-yard line and one play later, Parker Johnson called his own number and ran the first score of the night to put Good Hope up 7-0 early.
The Blue Devils started their first drive with an incomplete pass before Bennett Reeves took off for 13 yards and a first down. Brodie Bennett then went 15 more yards down to the Raiders 30. The Raider defense, led by Hank Hudson, sacked the Blue Devil quarterback back at the Raider 40-yard line and after Etowah regained 13 of those yards, back before Hudson sacked the quarterback again a 4 yard loss. Facing fourth and long from the Raider 30, Scissum scrambled down to the 20 for a first down. Later in the drive, Scissum found Bennett Reeves open across the middle for the touchdown, but the PAT was no good and Good Hope maintained a 7-6 lead.
The Blue Devils wasted no time driving the ball to the 50 and from there, Brodie Bennett took a short pass in the flat and went 50 yards for Etowah’s second touchdown of the night. The two-point conversion was good, and the Blue Devils led Good Hope 14-7.
The Raiders were forced to punt on their next possession and the Blue Devils started on their own 40. The Blue Devils fumbled on their first play of the drive and Landon Bagwell picked up the loose ball and carried it in for a Good Hope score. The PAT was good, and the game was tied up at 14.
The Blue Devils responded, driving 67 yards in just five plays, regaining the lead on a 43-yard touchdown pass Eric Teal that put Etowah in front 21-14.
Good Hope put together a drive of its own in the closing minutes of the second quarter, capping it off with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Weston Hancock that tied the game at 21 going into the halftime break.
The second half was a defensive struggle. Neither team was able to find the end zone in the final 24 minutes and they went into overtime locked at 21.
In overtime the Blue Devils got the ball first starting on the 10-yard line. It looked like the Good Hope defense was going to shut down the Blue Devils as Zack Keller sacked the quarterback at the 22 but Corey Duncan carried the ball back down to the 12 for the Blue Devils and on third down, Bennett Reeves found himself open in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown pass to put Etowah up 28-21.
Good Hope failed to score on their first overtime possession and Etowah held on to win it 28-21.
The Raiders will remain home to host Addison next week.
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