Inside the Numbers: Cascade

Raiders managed 138 yards of offense in Cascade loss as freshmen, handful of defensive standouts filled the stat sheet

3:10 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026 • Updated 10:00 p.m. Aug. 29, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Friday night's scoreboard was one-sided. Dig a little deeper, though, and there were numbers worth carrying forward for Moore County.

The latest stat package credits freshman quarterback Austin Scherff with 89 passing yards, senior Tucker Smith with 59 yards rushing, and freshman Caseon Casteel with 131 all-purpose yards in the 35-0 loss to Cascade. The Raider defense, meanwhile, totaled 63 tackles.

One bookkeeping note before we get into it: Memphis Foster's 11-yard play is listed as a rush in the supplied MaxPreps sheets. It was an 11-yard reception. For this breakdown, those yards have been moved from rushing to receiving.

Here's Week 2, by the numbers.

172

Total yards of offense for Moore County.

With Foster's 11 yards properly counted as receiving, the Raiders finished with 83 yards rushing and 89 passing.

Moore County ran the ball 20 times for 83 yards, an average of 4.2 per attempt.

89

Passing yards for Scherff.

The freshman completed 9 of 15 passes, good for a 60% completion rate, with one interception.

And there is another number hiding underneath that line: Scherff's 89 passing yards exceeded Moore County's rushing total by six.

65.5%

Scherff's completion rate through two varsity starts.

He's now 19-of-29 for 210 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

That's 9.5 completions and 105 passing yards per game.

59

Rushing yards for Smith.

Cascade kept the senior from another triple-digit night, but Smith still carried 11 times for 59 yards – 5.4 yards per attempt.

Through two games, Smith has 219 rushing yards on 29 carries, averaging 7.6 yards every time he gets the ball.

That makes him the workhorse of the Raider offense through two weeks.

Moore County has 308 rushing yards as a team. Smith owns more than 71% of them.

7.3

Drew Hardison's yards per carry against Cascade.

Hardison ran four times for 29 yards, giving him the best rushing average among Raiders with multiple carries Friday.

He added two receptions for 19 yards to finish with 48 yards from scrimmage.

55

Receiving yards for Casteel.

Four catches. Fifty-five yards. An average of 13.8 yards per reception.

Casteel accounted for nearly 62% of Moore County's 89 receiving yards against Cascade.

11

Receiving yards for Foster.

This is the number that needed straightening out.

It also means Foster now has 43 receiving yards through two games rather than the 32 shown in the season receiving table.

131

All-purpose yards for Casteel.

The freshman was everywhere.

Casteel finished with five rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and 71 kickoff-return yards. That's 131 all-purpose yards on a night when Moore County totaled 281.

Through two games, he has 183 all-purpose yards.

97

All-purpose yards for Smith.

His 59 yards rushing weren't the whole story.

Smith also ripped off a 38-yard kickoff return, pushing his Friday total to 97 all-purpose yards.

He leads Moore County through two games with 257 all-purpose yards, an average of 128.5 per game.

21.8

Moore County's average yards per kickoff return.

Casteel returned four for 71 yards. Smith had one for 38.

Together, the Raiders produced 109 yards on five kickoff returns.

63

Tackles credited to the Moore County defense.

The Raiders recorded 24 solo tackles and 39 assists.

Hardison led the way with eight. Casteel, Aidan Moore, Hunter Travis, and Kohlby Williams each finished with six.

15

Season tackles for Hardison and Travis.

Two games. Two different ways to arrive at the same number.

Hardison has eight solo tackles and seven assists. Travis has five solos and 10 assists, plus a tackle for loss.

Both are averaging 7.5 tackles per game.

11

Season tackles for Casteel.

The freshman isn't just producing when the Raiders have the football.

Casteel has nine solo tackles and two assists through two games, putting him third on the team with 11 total stops.

Add in five receptions, 57 receiving yards, 183 all-purpose yards, and his work in the return game, and the freshman has already found several ways onto the stat sheet.

518

Corrected total offensive yards through two games – 308 yards rushing and 210 passing.

That's 518 yards of offense, or 259 yards per game, for a Moore County team that heads into Week 3 at 1-1.

Friday was a rough night. But two weeks in, there are pieces beginning to show themselves:

• Smith averaging better than 7 yards a carry
• Scherff completing nearly two-thirds of his throws
• Casteel contributing in all three phases
• Hardison and Travis setting the pace on defense

The Raiders couldn't turn those numbers into points against Cascade.

Week 3 is their chance to start a new set.

• Box Score | Season Stats

Updated with official game statistics, box score, and season stats.