GOOD HOPE, Ala. – Vinemont traveled to take on Good Hope in a spring jamboree game Thursday night in what ended up being a very closely contested game. However, the Raiders were able to hang on in the end to defeat the Eagles 19-12 and take the spring matchup.
The first quarter saw the JV start things off and Vinemont ran the ball efficiently as they picked up three huge first downs to help keep the drive alive, but the Raider defense stiffened, and they recovered an Eagle fumble at the 20-yard line. Callahan Lindsey and Colten Whatley each picked up a huge first down during Good Hope’s first drive, but the Eagle defense forced a Raider fumble, and they started their final drive of the quarter at the 39-yard line.
Diego Rodriguez and Rush Sandlin quickly got Vinemont to the 10-yard line and a horse collar penalty on Good Hope put the Eagles at the one-yard line, but the Raider defense held their ground and kept Vinemont out of the end zone to keep the game scoreless after one.
The second quarter saw Vinemont’s varsity squad quickly move the ball down the field as a 34-yard run by Colby Miller put the Eagles at the 30-yard line, but Drew Easterwood picked off a Miller pass at the five-yard line. A holding penalty had Good Hope backed up at the two, but Tanner Malin picked up 17 yards and a huge first down. Malin picked up a couple of first downs through the air and on the ground, but he got tackled for a two-yard loss and the Raiders were forced to punt. The Eagles got a couple of first downs on its next drive, but they fumbled the ball and the Raiders recovered.
Good Hope’s second drive didn’t start out too good and they were faced with a fourth-and-11 from the 45, but Malin kept the drive alive for the Raiders as he found Jager Burns for a 40-yard completion and Kaleb Jones finished the drive off with a five-yard run to give Good Hope a 6-0 lead with a minute left to go in the first half. But the Eagles looked to quickly answer before the half. Miller scampered for 17 yards, then he found Gabe Friedrich for nine yards. Miller then got 16 more on the ground, but Easterwood quickly ended the Eagles’ drive with his second interception of the game as the Raiders went into the half up, 6-0.
Malin and Jones each picked up a first down during Good Hope’s first drive of the second half and Charlie O’Neil picked up seven more yards on the ground to put the Raiders at the 25-yard line, but they quickly went backwards as the Eagle defense stuffed Burns for a three-yard loss on fourth down to help force a turnover-on-downs. Vinemont’s running game gave the Raider defense fits on its first drive as Brody Speer, Ayden Thomason, and Miller each picked up huge first downs during the drive. A personal foul on Good Hope put the ball at the 12-yard line and Thomason finished the drive off with a seven-yard run as the game was now tied at six with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter.
Back-to-back personal fouls on Vinemont quickly put the Raiders at the 25-yard line on its next drive and Malin would later find the end zone as he scored on a 21-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Good Hope a 12-6 lead with 11:47 remaining in the contest. After back-to-back punts, the Eagle running attack continued to wear down the Raider defense and Miller scored on a 38-yard run down the left sideline to tie the game up once again at 12 with 2:44 remaining in the game.
Good Hope looked to break the tie on its next drive. Malin got a first down to start it out, then later on in the drive, he found Burns for a 29-yard gain on third down. Malin found Paydon Bagwell for 10 yards as the Raiders converted on third down yet again, then Malin ended the drive by scoring on a 10-yard, hard-nosed run and that gave Good Hope a 19-12 lead. But the Eagles looked for some late-night heroics as Miller found Richards for seven yards, then he later found Speer for 15 and six yards and that put Vinemont at the 31-yard line. The Raider defense forced an incompletion to end the game and they ended up winning the contest, 19-12.
Malin finished the game with 100 yards on 12 carries and a pair of touchdowns and threw for 90 more. Jones added 45 more on the ground and a score. Burns ended up with 80 yards on four receptions. Easterwood finished with two interceptions for Good Hope. Miller finished with 170 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown for Vinemont. Speer added 50 more on the ground, while Thomason ended up with 19 rushing yards and a touchdown.
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