Raiders fade after halftime in loss to Eagleville

Moore County led early, but Eagleville scored 17 unanswered second-half points to beat the Raiders on Homecoming 

9:15 p.m. Oct. 2, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

For a half Friday night, Moore County had Eagleville where it wanted it.

The Raiders opened Homecoming with an 80-yard touchdown drive, then held the Eagles to seven points before halftime. Moore County went to the locker room down by one.
Eagleville scored 17 unanswered points after the break and pulled away for a 24-6 Region 5 win.

The loss was Moore County’s fifth straight. The Raiders fell to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in region play, while Eagleville improved to 4-3 and 2-1.

Raiders strike first

Moore County took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards for the game’s first score. Freshman quarterback Austin Scherff kept the drive moving through the air and with his legs. Tucker Smith did much of the work on the ground, while Scherff found Westin Byrom twice as the Raiders worked their way downfield.

Smith finished it from 2 yards out, powering across the goal line with 6:17 left in the first quarter. Jax Ross’ extra-point attempt missed, leaving Moore County ahead 6-0.

Smith finished with a team-high 51 rushing yards on 13 carries. Scherff added 30 yards on nine attempts and completed 7 of 15 passes for 46 yards. The Raiders finished with 96 yards on the ground and 142 yards of total offense.

The Raiders’ defense answered with a stop. Ike Holt dropped Eagleville quarterback Benton Fox for a 5-yard loss on third down, forcing a punt.

Moore County started its next possession at the 31 and moved out to the 46 before Ross punted.

The Raiders got another chance early in the second quarter. Scherff found Paxson Embrey for 5 yards, and Drew Hardison broke loose on the ground to move Moore County to the Eagleville 30.

A sack on third down put Moore County behind the chains, and an incomplete pass on fourth-and-12 ended the drive.

Eagles answer before halftime

Eagleville began rotating Fox and Drake Rzemieniewski at quarterback as it put together its first scoring drive.

Mooney kept the chains moving on the ground, while Fox connected with Ridley Sheppard and Kason Puffer as the Eagles worked deeper into Moore County territory.

Eagleville reached the Raider 12, where Fox found Sheppard for a touchdown on third-and-6. The extra point gave the Eagles a 7-6 lead with 1:54 left before halftime.

Moore County picked up one first down before time ran out.

Byrom led Moore County’s receivers with three catches for 24 yards. Embrey caught two passes for 9 yards, while Holt and Memphis Foster each had one reception.

Eagleville creates separation

The Eagles received the second-half kickoff and moved into Moore County territory behind Mooney’s running and a pass-interference penalty against the Raiders.

Moore County got to Fox at the 20 and forced Eagleville to settle for a 36-yard field goal. It was good, pushing the lead to 10-6 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.

The Raiders went three-and-out on the next possession. Eagleville needed one play after the punt. Starting at the Moore County 46, Fox hit Puffer for a touchdown. The extra point made it 17-6 with 4:53 left in the third.

Moore County tried to answer. Smith broke around the left side for a first down, and Scherff added yards on the ground, but the drive stalled near midfield. Ross punted again, and Eagleville took over at its own 31.

Holt, Searcy lead the defense

Holt and sophomore Caden Searcy were in the middle of things most of the night, finishing with seven tackles apiece.

Holt had five solo stops, two assists, and a tackle for loss. Searcy made two solo tackles and assisted on five more. Aidan Moore, Hardison, and Hunter Travis each added six tackles, while Kohlby Williams also recorded a tackle for loss.

Mooney broke loose to the Moore County 24 early in the fourth quarter. A few plays later, Sheppard went around the right side for a touchdown on third-and-2.

The extra point pushed the lead to 24-6 with 8:27 remaining.

Moore County picked up one first down on its next possession, but a false start put the Raiders behind the chains. Ross eventually punted again. He finished with four punts for 110 yards.

Eagleville took over with 3:57 left and kept the ball on the ground until Fox took a knee on the final snap.

Moore County stays home Friday looking to stop a five-game skid. Smith County comes to Lynchburg for a 7 p.m. kickoff Oct. 9.

• Game Stats | Season Stats