Raiders open Region 5 play Friday at HuntLand

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

The first four weeks have left Moore County with a 1-3 record, some bruises, and plenty still to clean up. Friday is when the Raiders get their first say in the Region 5 race.

Moore County travels to HuntLand for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Sept. 18, to open region play against a Hornets team that has started 3-1 and already owns a region win. HuntLand went to Richland last week and came home with a 17-15 victory.

There is the region race, and then there is HuntLand. Around here, putting the two on the same Friday night takes care of the buildup.

Coach Kris White does not expect to spend much time explaining that to his players.

“You don’t have to motivate them for this one,” White said. “Considering especially how the last two years have gone, I mean, a coach shouldn’t have to say anything.”

HuntLand comes in averaging 21.75 points per game while allowing 19.75. Moore County is averaging 10.5 points per game and giving up 31.75 points per game.

The numbers tell much of Moore County’s story so far. Drives have stalled before they paid off, and the defense has been hurt most when one play got loose.

HuntLand wants to make you tackle it

White expects HuntLand to lean on buck sweep, belly, and trap, then get the ball outside when the chance is there. Moore County has to stay sound, fit the run, and avoid one missed assignment that could open the whole field.

“They’ve got a couple athletes on the perimeter,” White said. “They’ll try to get the ball to [them]. We’ve just got to dig in defensively and be disciplined in the game, don’t give up the big play.”

Battle Creek scored all four of its touchdowns on explosive plays last week. White thought Moore County played much better after halftime, and he came away encouraged by the way the Raiders held up along the line of scrimmage.

“We’ve been fortunate that we haven’t gotten pushed around,” White said. “We’ve given up big plays or chunk yardage, and we’ve got to clean up that part of it.”

Moore County has held its ground pretty well up front. The trouble comes when somebody gets through, and there is nobody left behind him.

That puts plenty on the linebackers and safeties Friday. White said both groups will have to play well, with Caseon Casteel getting another week at safety after getting his feet wet there against Battle Creek.

Memphis Foster flashed on both sides of the ball against Battle Creek, including one tunnel screen where he got there before the linemen could get a block on him.

“He had a really good night,” White said. “We’ve just got to get him coached up on what to do on offense. He’s definitely a weapon.”

White also pointed to linebacker Mason Hankins as a player who is coming along. Moore County has not been able to play JV games because it does not have enough linemen to do it without leaning on players who may already be starting on defense. For Hankins and running back Hunter Alford, that has meant fewer nights to simply get on the field and play.

“If they’d had three JV games by now, they would be feeling it more,” White said. “They just haven’t had the opportunity under the lights to get touches and just play football.”

The Raiders need more points for their work

Moore County has moved the football better than 10.5 points per game might suggest. Finishing those drives has been the problem.

That showed up early against Battle Creek. The Raiders drove to the 2-yard line on their opening possession and came away empty. Two plays later, they were chasing the game.

Through four weeks, freshman quarterback Austin Scherff has completed 43 of 73 passes for 441 yards. Tucker Smith leads the ground game with 262 yards on 42 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. Casteel has 119 receiving yards, while Ike Holt has 96.

Moore County has 442 rushing yards as a team, and Smith owns 262 of them. The Raiders are averaging 3.9 yards per carry overall.

Jax Ross is 2-for-2 on PAT attempts and is averaging 31.6 yards on 11 punts, including one inside the 20.

Drew Hardison has been the steady hand in the middle of Moore County’s defense through four games. He leads the Raiders with 29 tackles – 15 solo and 14 assists – good for 7.3 per game. Hunter Travis has piled up 17 tackles despite playing only three games, while Casteel also has 17 and has been plenty active from the secondary. Mason Hankins has 15 tackles in three games, and Smith is next with 14.

There is some depth behind them. Holt, Deacon Liles, Aidan Moore, and Kohlby Williams each have 12 tackles, with Caden Searcy sitting at 11. Moore County has recorded 8.5 tackles for loss as a team, including 2.5 from Mason Sandefur. The Raiders have only two sacks through four weeks, but Foster owns one of them, with Sandefur and Williams splitting the other.

Casteel has supplied the biggest plays on the back end, picking off two passes. Foster has the other interception, giving Moore County three takeaways through the air. For a defense that has spent too much time on the field the past couple of weeks, those are the plays that can change a Friday night in a hurry.

At times, the Raiders have been one block away from springing something. Miss that one, and the whole thing goes bad.

“We’re just not in sync,” White said. “Four linemen may be doing it right, and the one that’s doing it wrong is the one that the guy’s busting through.”

White said the Raiders will spend more time on that this week. HuntLand has not needed big numbers to win, either. The Hornets are giving up fewer than 20 points per night, and last week they left Richland with 17.

The second half looked more like Moore County

White said he did not think Moore County played very well in the first half against Battle Creek. His halftime message focused on the physical side of the game.

“If you physically don’t want to put your face on somebody over and over and over again and like it, then this sport isn’t for you,” White said. “In order to be successful in this sport, you’ve got to like putting your face on somebody. It’s got to be enjoyable to you.”

Moore County came back out and played better. Outside of the kickoff return, White called the second-half effort “outstanding” and thought the Raiders simply played better football in the third and fourth quarters.

The Raiders are 1-3, but Friday is their first Region 5 game. HuntLand is 3-1 and already 1-0 after beating Richland. Friday will also mark the first time Moore County and HuntLand play for the Majors Cup.

White has known what HuntLand week means around here since long before he became Moore County’s head coach. “I know how important it is to the community, how much it means to the kids, their parents, grandparents,” White said. “It’s very important here.”

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