BREMEN – The Good Hope Raiders traveled to Bremen to take on the Cold Springs Eagles Friday in their first meeting since 2005. What a game it turned out to be between the two county rivals as both gave it their all, but in the end, Cold Springs came out on top 42-39.
The Raider defense forced the Eagles to punt on their opening series of the game. On their first play of their opening drive, there was a bad snap, but Preston Bagwell was still able to gather it up and find Matt Hancock for a 9-yard gain. Two plays later, though, Bagwell fumbled the ball and Cold Springs recovered it at the 42-yard line. Behind big runs by Nic Rollo and Jarrett Elliott, the Eagles moved the ball to the 10-yard line and from there, Clay Jones ran it in for the game's first score with 4:26 remaining in the opening quarter.
Good Hope looked to get on the scoreboard on their next series. Bagwell broke off gains of 19 and 9 yards, plus he found Dixon for a 17-yard pickup. Cold Springs helped them out by getting two key penalties: an offsides infraction and a face mask. After the face mask penalty, the ball was placed at the 12-yard line and from there, Dixon scored on an end-around run to tie the game up at 6 with 1:50 remaining in the quarter. The Raiders recovered the kickoff at midfield, but they were forced to punt. Cold Springs started at their own 22-yard line.
Rollo and Elliott continued to give the Raiders fits and River Banks joined in on the action as he picked up one of what would be five first downs for the Eagles. Elliott finished the series off with a 1-yard quarterback sneak to put Cold Springs up 12-6 with 6:23 remaining in the first half. The Raiders looked to get the momentum back on their side. Big runs by Bagwell and Echols, plus a 47-yard strike from Bagwell to Hancock, put the Raiders in business at the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Warren Creel fumbled after his knee had already hit the ground. But the play stood and the score was the same as halftime hit.
The third quarter witnessed both teams lighting up the scoreboard in a frenzy. On Good Hope's opening possession, they started at the 35 and on just their second play, Christian Echols found a big hole and scored on a 60-yard run to put Good Hope up 13-12 with 10:44 remaining in the quarter.
Cold Springs looked to respond and respond they did as Rollo continued to gain big yardage on the ground. Cold Springs had the ball at the 12-yard line. After getting nothing going on the first two plays, Fisher Willoughby really made up for his big drop on the previous play by scoring from 11 yards out on an end-around run to put the Eagles back on top 20-13 with 7:21 remaining in the third. Good Hope started their next drive at the 23-yard line and on the first play, Dixon got the ball on another end-around run and broke free on the left sideline for a 77-yard run to tie the game up at 20 with 6:44 remaining in the quarter. It was the Elliott and Rollo show on the Eagles’ next possession as they started at the 35-yard line and were helped by a Raider face mask penalty. Elliott scored on a 6-yard run to put the Eagles on top 27-20 with 4:18 remaining in the third.
The Eagles kicked it off to Dixon, and he again, behind tremendous blocking, found a big hole, returning the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 27-26 with 4:00 remaining in the quarter. After recovering yet another onside kick, Good Hope stuck to the ground game behind Echols and Dixon, and the Eagles helped them out again penalty-wise as they were offsides, helping the Raiders get a first down. Echols found a big hole and picked up 29 yards which put them at the 3-yard line and from there, Bagwell connected with Hancock to put Good Hope back in the lead at 33-27, which would be the score at the end of the quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Eagles looked to regain the lead. Off a Willoughby 20-yard run and 4 more yards on the ground to end the third quarter, the Eagles looked to keep that momentum on their side going into the final quarter and Elliott and Rollo helped keep the drive going. The Raiders had a pass interference during the series, which put Cold Springs at the 11-yard line. Back-to-back 5-yard runs by Elliott and Rollo put the Eagles at the 1. Rollo punched it in from there to put the Eagles on top 34-33 with 9:03 remaining in the game.
Both teams were forced to punt on their next offensive series. On their next series, Good Hope looked to keep the Eagle offense on the sideline. Big runs by Austin Knight and Echols put the Raiders in excellent position at the 24-yard line. After Bagwell lost a yard, it was fourth-and-2. Good Hope drew the Eagles offsides, which gave the Raiders a first down at the 20-yard line. After completing a pass for 9 yards to the 11, Bagwell kept the ball himself and scored from there to put Good Hope back on top once more 39-34 with 2:12 remaining in the game.
But the Raiders left Cold Springs too much time on the clock as the Eagles pounced on the opportunity and a huge unsportsmanlike penalty on Good Hope proved costly for them. Rollo broke free for a 31-yard run, which put them at the 1. Rollo finished the drive with a 1-yard plunge to put the Eagles back on top 42-39 with 42 seconds in the game. Dixon returned the kickoff as he almost broke free once again, but not before returning it to the 42-yard line. Bagwell found Hancock on the first play for 6 yards. After an incomplete pass, Dixon caught a big pass for 14 yards to put Good Hope at the 43-yard line. Bagwell's last heave, though, was intercepted and the Eagles breathed a big sigh of relief.
Cold Springs improved to 3-2 on the season. Rollo had a big game as he rushed for 164 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns. Elliott rushed for 118 yards on 19 carries and four touchdowns. Willoughby touched the ball six times for 42 yards and a touchdown. Jones had just the one run, but it went for a touchdown. They start their region play back next week as they travel to West End.
Good Hope falls to 0-5 on the season. Echols rushed for 121 yards on just eight carries and a touchdown. Dixon rushed for 90 yards on just three carries and two touchdowns, plus the kickoff return for a touchdown. Bagwell went 7 of 10 for 105 yards, a touchdown and an interception, plus 58 more on the ground on eight carries and a touchdown. Hancock caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. They will return to region play next week as they host Winfield for homecoming week.
"They really fought hard." Good Hope coach Alan Scott said. "We will continue to work hard. The Lord's with us right now."
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