Raiders tougher on defense, hungry for points

After a 21-0 loss to Smith County, Moore County looks to restart offense vs. Fayetteville, pick up first region win

7:40 a.m. Oct. 15, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County held its own physically against Smith County on Friday night. The Raiders recorded five tackles for loss, got another strong performance from their young defenders, and found some openings in the passing game.

None of it put points on the scoreboard.

The Raiders fell 21-0, their sixth consecutive loss, leaving coach Kris White encouraged by parts of his defense but still searching for answers on offense.

Now Moore County (1-6, 0-2) heads to Fayetteville for a Region 5 matchup Friday against a Tigers team that has struggled to find its footing, too. Fayetteville enters at 1-5 overall and 1-1 in region play.

White believes the Raiders can compete, but there's work to do before Friday's 7 p.m. kickoff.

Young defenders are growing up

Smith County converted several third downs on its opening possession, and White said the Raiders needed that first series to adjust to the Owls' physical style of football.

Once they settled in, he liked what he saw. "After that, we kind of settled in and really matched them, physicality-wise, defensively," White said. "I thought we played pretty solid defensively."

Moore County finished with 56 tackles, including five for loss. Drew Hardison led the way with seven stops, followed by Deacon Liles with six and Ike Holt with five.

Hardison has been a steady presence all season. His 49 tackles lead the Raiders, while Hunter Travis has 42.

But several other players are beginning to catch White's attention, including Mason Hankins. He finished Friday with four tackles, giving him 22 in five games. Hankins is a first-year player who came to Moore County from a homeschool background, and White said his improvement has come through hard work and more opportunities on Friday nights.

"He's worked his tail off and has earned the right to get in there and play," White said. "The more experience he's getting, the better player he's becoming."

Holt is making similar strides. The senior recorded five tackles against Smith County, including one for loss, and has 29 tackles on the season. "I think the game's starting to slow down for Ike," White said. "Now instead of thinking, he's just reacting."

That allows Holt to play faster, trust what he's learned in practice, and get to the football without hesitating.

And then there's Liles, whose best work Friday might not have been obvious from the stands. Smith County repeatedly ran power and counter plays, pulling offensive linemen directly at the senior defender. White said Liles kept meeting them head-on.

It was the most physical game White has seen him play. "He was making their guys not really want to come kick him by the end of the game," White said. Liles finished with six tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, and now has 27 stops on the season.

Moore County's defense also found itself defending a short field after a special teams mistake. With 7:49 remaining before halftime, Smith County blocked a Jax Ross punt and took possession at the Raiders' 19-yard line.

White also pointed to a costly third-and-long play when Jose Garcia nearly reached the quarterback for a sack. Garcia took a bad angle, however, and the quarterback escaped for a touchdown. Garcia finished with four tackles, including two for loss.

Plenty of yards, but no points

Moore County managed 243 yards of offense against Smith County, with freshman quarterback Austin Scherff throwing for 162. He completed 12 of 24 passes, but four interceptions compounded an already difficult night for the offense.

The running game never found much room, either. Hardison gained 35 yards on 11 carries, while Tucker Smith added 21 yards on seven attempts. Moore County finished with 81 rushing yards on 31 carries, an average of just 2.6 yards per attempt.

Holt caught three passes for 50 yards, while Cody Burton hauled in a 34-yard reception. Kason Ferrara added a 25-yard catch, and Ty Smith picked up 24 yards on his lone reception.

But Smith County's defense made Scherff work for nearly everything. White singled out Colt Shoemake, the Owls' No. 7, whose well-timed stunts from his outside linebacker position created problems for Moore County's offensive line.

Shoemake gave the Raiders trouble on both sides of the football. He also led Smith County with 61 rushing yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. "We couldn't block him," White said. "He plays with great effort, great emotion, and he was hard to handle."

White wasn't inclined to put Scherff's four interceptions entirely on his freshman quarterback. On one interception, the ball went off a Moore County player's hands, popped into the air, and was picked off. On other plays, the pressure kept Scherff from seeing open receivers.

"He had a lot of pressure on him and was getting hit," White said.

Through seven games, Scherff has completed 73 of 136 passes for 756 yards, one touchdown, and seven interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns.

Tucker Smith remains Moore County's leading ground gainer with 407 yards and three touchdowns on 75 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. Hardison has added 167 yards and two scores.

Holt leads the receiving corps with 13 catches for 180 yards.

As a team, Moore County is averaging 212 yards of offense per game. The Raiders have rushed for 728 yards and passed for 756, but getting those yards across the goal line has been another matter.

Run it first, then let Scherff work

White believes Smith and Hardison can make some noise on the ground against Fayetteville. And if they do, it could open things up for Scherff.

"I do think it's a game where Tucker and Drew can hurt them in the run game, which will open up Austin," White said.

The idea is to establish enough of a rushing threat to force Fayetteville to bring another defender into the box. That would leave fewer defenders in coverage and give Scherff more favorable matchups downfield.

White thinks the Raiders can attack the Tigers either way. First, though, they have to get the running game going.

His biggest concern on defense is keeping Fayetteville from turning an ordinary running play into a 50-yard touchdown. White said the Tigers are traditionally physical, something Moore County has generally matched this season. But the Raiders cannot afford to let a solid defensive effort unravel on one long run.

"If we can limit their big plays, don't give up the 50-, 60-yard runs, if we can corral them and don't let them get loose on the edges, I think we've got a chance," White said.

Moore County still has region games to play, but at 0-2, the Raiders need to start winning them. Still, White sees a defense that's getting tougher and an offense that has enough talent to move the football.

The Raiders, however, are running out of Fridays to put it all together.

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