By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
September 28, 2002
When a team is without a team leader, it will usually respond in one of two ways come out flat and get beaten badly or give a little extra and play with a lot of emotion.
The Raiders of Lamar School were forced to play without senior leader Monroe Mayfield, but the Mayfield-less defense stepped up and led the Raiders to a 14-7 win over Parklane.
The win over the upper level MPSA AAA opponent moved the Raiders to 1-1 in the division and 4-2 overall.
The defense for both teams was very good in the first quarter and neither team was able to put points on the board. The visiting Pioneers finally broke the scoreless tie with 9:41 left in the second quarter. Tyler Chapman hit Reg Ott with a 34-yard touchdown pass to put Parklane up 7-0.
The Raiders answered on their next possession. On a third-and-16 play the pass from Drew Moffett was incomplete, but a late hit gave the Raiders a fourth-and-one opportunity. Moffett got the first down on the keeper and the Raiders continued to drive. The 13-play drive was capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Moffett. The fake attempt on the PAT was stopped and Parklane led 7-6.
A Parklane fumble on a third-and-four play gave Lamar the ball deep in Pioneer territory. The Raiders drove the 18 yards and Moffett plunged in from one yard out to score with 1:33 left in the half. Moffett found Joey Harrison open in the endzone to pick up the two-point conversion and give the Raiders a 14-7 lead at the half.
The defense stood strong for the Raiders on all six Parklane possessions in the second half to secure the win. The Pioneers started with the ball in Lamar territory on four of the possessions, but turned the ball over on downs four times and threw two interceptions.
Parklane took the ball over on the Lamar 24-yard line on its first possession, but turned the ball over on downs at the 16. On its second possession, Parklane quarterback Chapman hit Lance Newlon on a 46-yard pass to move the ball to the three-yard line. The Raider defense pushed the Pioneers back and held on a fourth-and-goal play at the four-yard line to get the ball back.
Parklane moved the ball to the Lamar 30 before turning the ball over on downs on its next possession. The Pioneers then came back to take the ball at the Lamar 32 before turning the ball over. An interception by Daniel Bennett off of a deflection by Drew Denney stopped the next Parklane drive.
On the Pioneers' final drive, Randy Boyd Thompson intercepted a pass at the Lamar 26-yard line to secure the win.