GOOD HOPE, Ala. – Teams, students and fans gathered inside James W. Shabel Stadium Thursday night for what turned out to be a muddy slugfest. With the recent rains turning the field into a swamp, both teams had to alter the game plan. Facing West Point for the first time since 2017, Good Hope came out on top 31-14.
After forcing West Point to a quick three-and-out to start the game, Good Hope went straight to work in a seven-play, 51-yard series ending with a Colton Bagwell touchdown run. Bagwell didn’t just add the icing to the cake with the 9-yard touchdown carry, he baked the whole thing, totaling 40 yards on five carries on the drive.
That surely wouldn’t be the last you’d hear about the big bruising running back for the Raiders. Bagwell finished the night with 33 carries, an eye-popping 196 yards on the ground, and two rushing touchdowns. You have heard of Tennessee Titans (and former Crimson Tide) running back “King Henry,” well, meet Cullman County’s “King Colton.” The senior Raider filled the game with broken tackles and Madden-like truck sticks.
While Bagwell had himself a night, don’t think he was the only Raider filling up the stat sheet. Junior QB1 Tanner Malin may have been the most valuable player of the game for Good Hope. Time and time again, Good Hope would find itself well behind the sticks, only for Malin to run and pass his way past them. He finished the evening with a balanced attack rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and he completed seven passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Malin’s lone touchdown pass of the game came in the second quarter on a beautifully called play action pass that was preceded with Bagwell pounding the rock down the field. Jager Burns reeled in the 12-yard touchdown pass to go towards his two-reception, 22 receiving-yard night.
Although Bagwell and Malin lit up the stat sheet and scoreboard, West Point had its own dynamic duo getting after it. In a night that limited the Warrior passing attack, senior QB1 Will Cochran and running back Kelton Washington took to the ground themselves. Cochran finished with 88 rushing yards and West Point’s lone two touchdowns of the night coming from 3 and 48 yards out, while Washington added eight carries for 90 yards, totaling more than 11 yards a carry. Washington seemed to come in all night on fresh legs and provided several sparks for the Warrior offense. Cochran finished with six completions, 69 yards, and two interceptions for the night.
While the box score may have a lot of big numbers, nothing was easily earned in this wet and slippery game. Both defenses made some big stops throughout. Two of Good Hope’s stops had a common factor: the tip drill. Raiders Ethan Anderson and Lawton Farr both came up with huge picks late in the game off tipped passes that helped the Raiders put the game away. Good Hope’s Lucas Hill and Clayton Herring also each came up with big sacks to put pressure on the West Point offense. West Point’s Braeden Patterson added one sack for the Warriors as well.
Good Hope coach Alan Scott had this to say about his team’s gutsy win: “I’m proud of our guys tonight. They handled adversity well. We try to teach our guys to just have an even keel. Good or bad, just play the next play, and in a game like tonight they did a great job of that.”
Bagwell added, “Man, we trained all offseason for this. The line played great. We conditioned all summer for this so we could grind out games like this. I don’t care what my team needs me to do to win, I’m willing to do it, but overall this was a great team win.”
While the Warriors might be disappointed they didn’t come out on top, they have a bright future for the rest of the season. Rain may have slowed their air attack, but they look forward to building off their rushing performance tonight and mixing into a high-powered balance offense that will look to light up scoreboards across north Alabama.
Good Hope travels to Ashville next week, while West Point opens its three home game stretch with Lawrence County.
Copyright 2020 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
