GOOD HOPE, Ala. – Region play continued for the Good Hope Raiders on Friday night with a matchup against the Cordova Blue Devils. After getting off to a slow start, the Raiders picked up steam in the second quarter and rode the momentum all the way to a 34-6 win over Cordova.
Good Hope got the ball first to start out the game, and a Parker Johnson four-yard pass to Carter Rutherford helped them moved the sticks. Johnson got back-to-back first downs on the ground (3 yards), and through the air (14 yards to Tucker Keef), as that put them at the 36. A penalty put them behind the chains, and they were forced to punt. The Raider defense forced a punt but gave the ball back to the Blue Devils after failing to convert on fourth down. Cordova pounded the ball on the ground and collected a pair of first downs, but Good Hope stuffed them on a fourth-down conversion, giving the ball back to the Raiders.
Good Hope’s offense quickly got things going in their opening possession of the second quarter. Their running game wore down the Blue Devil defense, as Johnson, Mason Drake, and Rutherford picked up some tough yards during the drive. Back-to-back big runs by Drake quickly put the Raiders at the 14, and Ryker Hancock found the end zone on the next play to give them a 7-0 lead with 6:53 remaining in the first half. That score fired up their defense, as a three-and-out gave the ball back to Good Hope.
Drake’s 8-yard run on second down moved the chains, but the biggest play of the drive happened on the next play. Johnson had multiple Cordova defenders draped all over him, but he was still able to pick up 39 yards on the run, and that put the ball at the 5. Drake punched it in on the next play to make it 14-0.
The defense forced another punt, and Johnson’s legs continued to give the Blue Devil defenders fits on Good Hope’s next drive, gaining 18 and 22 yards on back-to-back plays. Another run by Johnson put the ball at the 10. Two plays later, on fourth down from the 15, Johnson found Drake for a 15-yard score to give them a 21-0 lead going into the locker room.
Cordova broke free for a big run on second down on its opening drive of the third quarter, and a penalty after the play moved the ball up to the 13. Later on in the drive, they converted on fourth down to help keep their drive alive, and they ended up punching it in from 2 yards out to cut it to 21-6. The Blue Devils recovered the kickoff after the ball bounced off a Raider’s foot, but they were forced to punt.
Good Hope stuck to their bread and butter, as Drake, Johnson, and Rutherford continued to wear down Cordova’s defense on the ground. An offsides penalty helped the Raiders get a first down during the drive. After a penalty moved them back to the 25, Good Hope found the end zone two plays later, as Johnson connected with Drake for a 20-yard touchdown to stretch their lead to 28-6. The Raider defense forced another punt, and Drake scored on a 14-yard run for their final touchdown of the game, as Good Hope improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the region with a 34-6 win over the Blue Devils.
Drake rushed for 126 yards on 16 carries and a pair of touchdowns and added 35 receiving yards and a pair of scores for the Raiders. Johnson collected 154 yards on the ground, and Ross Clark and Kane Anderson each added a sack in the game for Good Hope.
Unbeaten Good Gope will travel to take on the undefeated Addison Bulldogs next week.
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