Raiders’ defense sets the tone

2:36 p.m. Aug. 27, 2025

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

The scoreboard at Community will tell you the Raiders’ offense had itself a night, rolling to a 42–7 season-opening win on Friday, Aug. 22.

Just as important for Moore County’s season outlook was the performance of a defense that is as young as it is hungry.

Head coach Kris White came away encouraged, not because everything was perfect, but because his players showed they were willing to embrace the physical, all-out identity he demands.

“Overall, I was pleased with the way they played,” White said. “We had two tackles that had never played in a high school football defense. They made mistakes with pad level and reads, but they played hard.”

That hard play produced three forced turnovers – all fumbles, all created by Raiders who were doing exactly what their coach had taught them.

On the Raiders’ first kickoff, senior Carson Bell drilled the returner with perfect technique, dislodging the ball. Senior Buddy Qualls forced another with a thumping hit, while junior Deacon Liles delivered a “violent collision” that created the third.

“For us, if you’re going down the way we teach it and you run into a ball carrier, it should be a violent collision,” White explained. “And luckily for us, we made ’em fumble.”

The Raiders’ new-look defensive line is led by Liles and senior tackle Camden Yandell, who has found his footing after sticking out his first full summer and preseason. White said he was especially proud of Yandell’s progress.

“He’s found a home, he’s found a brotherhood, and that makes me happy,” White said. “As long as he stays low, he can’t get moved. The other night he got taken for a ride once, but that’s part of the learning process.”

If the front is still finding its way, the back end is beginning to embody White’s defensive philosophy: relentless pursuit. On Friday night, it often looked like Community ball carriers were swallowed by a pile of white jerseys. That’s no accident.

“We do a pursuit drill three days a week,” White said. “I emphasize all 11 hats to the ball. I don’t care if you’re the backside corner – you better be moving in that direction. Don’t expect somebody else to make a play. You be the one to make it.”

The Raiders will need more of that effort Friday, when Cascade visits for the home opener. The Champions, a more physical and experienced opponent than Community, will test just how quickly this young defensive unit can grow up.

Still, White believes his players are on the right track. The mistakes from Week 1 can be fixed. The willingness to hit, hustle, and play for each other is already there.

“They’re still learning,” he said. “But they’re doing it the right way.”