Inside the Numbers
Box score tells the story: 346 yards of offense, four takeaways, 20-point win. How MCHS stacked up vs. Community.
10:07 p.m. Aug. 21, 2026
Jeff Reed Photography
Tucker Smith ran for 160 yards in the Raiders' 27-7 victory against Community on Friday night.
DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor
Moore County opened the 2026 season with a 27-7 win over Community on Friday night, and the box score tells a pretty clear story.
The Raiders leaned on the ground game, got an efficient first start from freshman quarterback Austin Scherff, spread the football around through the air, and made Community pay for its mistakes.
Here is the season opener, by the numbers.
346
Total yards of offense for Moore County.
The Raiders rushed for 225 yards and threw for another 121, averaging 6.7 yards across 52 offensive plays.
225
Rushing yards on 38 carries.
Moore County averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt, with seven different Raiders recording at least one carry.
160
Rushing yards for senior Tucker Smith.
Smith carried 18 times, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt, and scored Moore County's first touchdown of the season.
His 160 yards accounted for 71 percent of the Raiders' rushing production and nearly half of Moore County's total offense.
71.4%
Austin Scherff's completion percentage in his first varsity start at quarterback.
The freshman went 10-of-14 for 121 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt and 12.1 yards per completion.
Scherff also added 16 yards on five carries and ran in a 2-point conversion.
6
Different Raiders caught a pass.
Scherff spread his 10 completions among Ike Holt, Memphis Foster, Paxson Embrey, Kason Ferrara, Jose Garcia, and Caseon Casteel.
Holt led the way with three catches for 44 yards. Foster added two for 32, while Embrey caught two for 30.
106
Receiving yards for Holt, Foster, and Embrey combined.
The trio accounted for 87.6 percent of Moore County's 121 passing yards.
Holt led the Raiders with 44 yards, followed by Foster with 32 and Embrey with 30.
44
Receiving yards for Holt.
The senior caught three passes and accounted for 36 percent of Moore County's passing yardage.
9
Yards on Ferrara's touchdown reception.
Scherff connected with the senior for the scoring strike, giving the freshman quarterback his first varsity touchdown pass.
4
Turnovers forced by the Moore County defense.
Casteel intercepted two passes, Deacon Liles recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, and Garcia added another fumble recovery.
Moore County lost two fumbles of its own, giving the Raiders a plus-2 turnover margin.
35
Punt-return yards for Casteel.
The freshman returned three punts for 35 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per return.
Add in his two interceptions and five rushing attempts, and Casteel found several ways to leave his fingerprints on the opener.
27
Points scored by Moore County.
The Raiders found the end zone three different ways.
Smith and Drew Hardison scored on the ground. Ferrara hauled in Scherff's touchdown pass. Liles supplied the defensive score with his fumble return.
20
Moore County's margin of victory.
The Raiders walked onto Doug Price Field with plenty of new faces and a few questions. They walked off with 346 yards of offense, four takeaways, four touchdowns, and a 27-7 win.
Next up is the first road test. The Raiders travel to face Class 3A Cascade at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28.
Box Score
Passing
Austin Scherff – 10 of 14, 121 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Caseon Casteel – 1 rec,, 2 yards
Memphis Foster – 2 rec., 32 yards
Jose Garcia – 1 rec., 4 yards
Kason Ferrara – 1 rec., 9 yards, 1 TD
Paxson Embrey – 2 rec., 30 yards
Ike Holt – 3 rec., 44 yards
Rushing
Caseon Casteel – 5 rushes, 15 yards, 1 fumble (lost)
Westin Byrom – 7 rushes, 19 yards
Tucker Smith – 18 rushes, 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble (lost)
Paxson Embrey – 1 rush, 7 yards
Austin Scherff – 5 rushes, 16 yards
Aidan Moore – 1 rush, 6 yards
Drew Hardison – 1 rush, 2 yards, 1 TD
2-Point Conversion
Austin Scherff – 1
Kickoff Returns
Ty Smith – 1 return, 2 yards
Punt Returns
Caseon Casteel – 3 returns, 35 yards
PAT
Jax Ross – 1 of 2
Updated with box score and season stats.
Old hands, new faces lift Raiders past Community
Moore County starts its 2026 season with a win behind a defensive TD, two picks, and contributions from freshmen and seniors alike.