TRINITY, Ala. – After toppling Cherokee County in the opening round last week, the Good Hope Raiders hit the road for another heavy weight matchup at unbeaten West Morgan Friday night. The Rebels struck first, taking a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter but the Raiders dominated after that, outscoring West Morgan 31-0 the rest of the way to earn a huge, 31-7 win and advance to round three.
Blake Cordes recovered the opening kickoff for Good Hope, and they started their opening series in excellent field position at the 42-yard line. A nine-yard run by Mason Drake put them at the 33, then an eight-yard pass from Parker Johnson to Carter Rutherford gave the Raiders a first down at the 25. They didn’t do much after that, though, and an intentional grounding penalty on third down forced them to punt. It got blocked, and West Morgan didn’t waste any time finding the end zone, as they scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass on their fourth play of the series to take an early 7-0 lead.
The Raiders collected a pair of first downs on back-to-back plays on its next series, but later on in the drive, they failed to convert on fourth down. Good Hope’s defense, though, forced a turnover-on-downs of their own. The Raiders pulled out a trick play to start out their next drive, as Johnson handed the ball off to Web Buchanan. Buchanan then proceeded to hit Johnson for a 29-yard gain and a first down at the 29. Later on in the drive, Drake kept things alive for Good Hope by picking up the first down on fourth down. A penalty quickly put them behind the sticks, but an eight-yard run by Drake put them at the 16. Two plays later, Johnson kept it himself and his eight-yard run gave the Raiders a first down at the eight. Johnson took it in on the next play to tie the game up at seven only six seconds into the second quarter.
Back-to-back runs by the Rebels quickly put the ball at the 31, but Good Hope’s defense stood tall once again, as Kane Anderson picked off a West Morgan pass at the 32. Johnson’s 14-yard scamper gave the Raiders a first down at the 46, but a huge loss on third down forced them to punt. A quick three-and-out by West Morgan gave the ball back to Good Hope. A pair of huge completions from Johnson to Rutherford (11 and 33 yards) quickly put the Raiders at the 32, as they looked to break the tie on this series. Johnson and Drake got the final 32 yards on the drive, and Drake finished things off with a one-yard score to give Good Hope a 14-7 lead late in the first half. West Morgan’s conversion on fourth down kept their series alive, but a penalty put them behind the sticks, and they were forced to turn the ball over on downs. The Raiders would take a 14-7 lead into the locker room.
Good Hope got the ball to start out the second half. They were faced off with a fourth-and-one, but an offsides penalty forced them to punt. After getting a first down on their opening series, the Rebels quickly got behind the sticks, and they failed to convert on fourth down. A penalty put the Raiders behind the sticks, but a big run by Johnson on third down helped keep their drive alive. Johnson collected another first down two plays later, then three plays later, Ayden Young made an unbelievable catch on third down, as his 31-yard reception put Good Hope at the nine. They would end up settling for a field goal, and Titus Montgomery’s 25-yard field goal stretched the Raider lead to 17-7 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.
Good Hope’s defense forced another West Morgan punt on its next series. After getting a first down, a penalty on second down forced them to punt two plays later. The Raider defense made another big play on third down, as Rutherford intercepted a Rebel pass and took it 40 yards to the house to widen their lead to 24-7 with a little over six minutes to go in the contest. A couple of solid runs by West Morgan, followed by a Good Hope penalty, put them at the 17, but the Raider defense stood tall once again, as Rutherford made a huge tackle on fourth down to give the ball back to Good Hope. A punt gave the ball back to the Rebels, but Tucker Keef picked off a West Morgan pass at the 20, and two plays later, Johnson broke free down the left sideline for a 77-yard score to make it 31-7. Anderson recovered the kickoff, and a few kneel downs by Johnson helped the Raiders seal their huge 31-7 win over no. 3-ranked West Morgan. Good Hope clinches a spot in the third round for the first time since 2021.
Johnson finished 9/15 for 108 yards and ended up with 178 rushing yards and a pair of scores for Good Hope (10-2). Drake added 72 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Rutherford (touchdown), Anderson, and Keef all finished with an interception in the game for the Raiders. Cordes and Anderson each recovered the ball on the kickoff.
Good Hope will return home to take on no. 5 Plainview next Friday night in the third round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Copyright 2025 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
