GOOD HOPE – Monday afternoon was big for Good Hope Middle School. It was the first time they got a crack at Vinemont since they lost the 2015 county championship game to the Eagles in a stunning upset.
Good Hope started the game with an attempted onside kick but the ball didn’t travel the required 10 yards and Vinemont took over on the Raider 47. After two positive rushing plays, the Vinemont drive bogged down, with the Eagles turning the ball over on downs after Alfonzo Perez was thrown for a 7-yard loss on a pitch play.
Good Hope took over on the Vinemont 46 and took full advantage of the great field position. The Raiders got the drive going with a 6-yard rush from Colton Bagwell followed up with a 9-yard scamper from Eli Pugh to take the ball down to the Eagles’ 31. Next it was full back Jared Pugh’s turn. He busted though the line for a 21-yard burst up the middle. Bagwell finished the drive, taking the ball in the end zone from 12 yards out. Good Hope failed to convert the 2-point play but took a 6-0 lead that they never lost.
Good Hope dented the scoreboard again on the very next possession. Following three negative plays, Vinemont was forced to go to the air on fourth-and-7, but it was Good Hope’s Eli Pugh who was on the other end to snag the ball out of the air and rumble 53 yards down the far sideline for the pick six. Good Hope added the 2-point conversion for the 14-0 lead.
The Raiders added another touchdown in the half, late in the second quarter when Bagwell took the pigskin 34 yards for the score. The 2-point conversion was good, as the Raiders took the 22-0 lead to the locker room at halftime.
Vinemont was the first to find the end zone in the second half, capitalizing on a Good Hope fumble. After picking up positive yards on their first three plays of the drive, Vinemont faced a fourth-and-3 from their own 35. The Eagles elected to go for it and it turned out to be the right decision as Perez broke free and sprinted 65 yards up the far sideline for the score. Vinemont failed to convert the 2-point play making the score 22-6 and this is where the score would stand as the officials made the decision to end the game with 2:54 left on the clock on the third quarter due to lightning.
Your final score: Good Hope 22, Vinemont 6.
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