GOOD HOPE, Ala. – It was Senior Night at James W. Shabel Stadium in Good Hope as the Raiders faced off against the Ashville Bulldogs in a huge region game and after a close first half, Good Hope pulled away in the second half and ended up getting the win over Ashville 41-13
Ashville got the ball first to start the game and moved the ball down the field, as a 26-yard pass on third down put them at the 41. Two more third-down conversions had Ashville at the 15, and the Bulldogs scored on a 12-yard pass on third down to give them an early 7-0 lead with 5:55 left to go in the opening period. Good Hope looked to answer on its opening series. A pair of eight-yard passes from Colten Whatley to Tucker Malin had the Raiders at the 35, and Hank Hudson found a big hole on the left side and scored on a 35-yard run to tie the game up at seven with 3:28 remaining in the first quarter.
Both teams traded punts on their next series, then Hudson recovered a Bulldog fumble at the 30. Some big yards on the ground by Hudson and Mason Drake put the Raiders at the 17, and Whatley threw a 17-yard strike to Malin to give the Raiders a 13-7 lead with 9:13 remaining in the first half. Back-to-back punts gave the ball back to Good Hope as they looked to add to their lead. Passes from Whatley to Weston Hancock (14 yards) and Malin (36 yards) had the Raiders knocking on the door once again, and Malin finished off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run to make it a 20-7 lead for Good Hope. The Raiders went into the locker room with a 20-7 lead.
The second half saw Hudson pick up 28 yards on the first play of the series for Good Hope, then later on, a 13-yard run by Tyler Cone gave the Raiders another first down. Back-to-back completions by Whatley put the Raiders at the 16, and three plays later, he found Cone for an 11-yard score to push their lead to 26-7 with 8:17 left to go in the third quarter. A 52-yard pass by the Bulldogs quickly put them within striking distance of cutting into the Raider lead, and they did just that as a four-yard touchdown pass cut it to 26-13.
Good Hope quickly countered on its next series, as a big 54-yard completion from Whatley to Malin put them at the two, and Malin punched it in on the next play to make it a 33-13 lead for the Raiders. Good Hope got the ball back after another Bulldog punt, and Ayden Black picked up a pair of first downs on the ground, as that put them at the 35-yard line. Whatley connected with Malin once again, this time, on a 35-yard touchdown, as that gave Good Hope a 41-13 lead. The reserves played the rest of the game for the Raiders, and Good Hope ended up collecting a huge 41-13 region win over Ashville, to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Whatley finished 15/22 for 225 yards and three scores for Good Hope (3-5, 2-2). Malin added nine catches for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus a pair of rushing scores as well. Cone finished with four receptions for 28 yards and a score. Hudson finished with 76 yards on seven carries and a touchdown, and also recovered a fumble.
Good Hope will head to Fultondale to take on the Wildcats in another key region game next Friday night.
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