Announcement
Reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 20, 2007 edition
Eastside 24, Madison County 9
Madison County Suffers First Loss to Eastside Since 1997
by Ben Munro
Covington—It was a night of “firsts” for Madison County—first road trip, first region game and the first loss to Eastside for anyone in a Raider uniform.
Seeking a fifth-consecutive 3-0 start, the Raiders were instead turned back by the still-unbeaten Eagles who scored 21 unanswered points in the second half of a 24-9 win at Sharp Stadium.
With mobile Justin Wary at the controls of the offense, the Eagles executed their spread attack to perfection in the second half, scoring on all three of their possessions to erase a 9-3 deficit.
Meanwhile, Madison County managed only a field goal in the second half in its first loss to Eastside since 1997, ending a three-game winning streak over the once-hapless Covington school. Down 10-9 in the third quarter, Madison County turned the ball over twice—both leading to Eastside touchdowns in dropping 2-1.
“I told the team, ‘Don’t give them a short field. Ultimately, whoever turns over the football least or whoever causes the most turnovers is going to win tonight,’” Owens said. “Unfortunately, that prophecy came true.”
The Raiders routed a Eastside 42-7 during their last trip to Covington, but Owens said this is a different bunch of Eagles. The coach expects Eastside to finish as one of the top three teams in 8-AAAA’s other sub-region.
“You’ve got to give them credit,” Owens said. “They’ve always had the talent. They were a lot more mature. They have held together the whole way through.”
As for Madison County, though painful, the loss will only factor in the 8A-AAAA standings if the Raiders are tied with another sub-region team heading into region playoff week.
Madison County moved the ball well in the first half on a soggy turf Friday, but managed just a 6-3 lead. The Raiders’ lone score came from Spencer Baird, who knifed through the Eagles’ defense for a 13-yard touchdown.
Madison County missed a prime scoring opportunity late in the second quarter when it drove to the five yard line but lost 15 yards on consecutive sacks. That left Jack Orr to attempt a 37-yard field goal that sailed wide right.
Owens noted that his team made four trips into the red zone and only had 9 points to show for it.
The Raiders hadn’t trailed all year until the third quarter when Eastside, which kicked a third quarter field goal to get on the scoreboard, drove 65 yards for a touchdown to take a one-point lead. Madison County’s subsequent drives ended in a fumble and an interception as a comeback attempt faltered.
That made for a long bus ride home.
“They were deeply hurt,” Owens said. “Anytime you’ve invested a lot and it doesn’t pay off, it’s painful. We knew it was a 50-50 shot going in.”
Eastside 24, Madison County 9
Madison County Suffers First Loss to Eastside Since 1997
by Ben Munro
Covington—It was a night of “firsts” for Madison County—first road trip, first region game and the first loss to Eastside for anyone in a Raider uniform.
Seeking a fifth-consecutive 3-0 start, the Raiders were instead turned back by the still-unbeaten Eagles who scored 21 unanswered points in the second half of a 24-9 win at Sharp Stadium.
With mobile Justin Wary at the controls of the offense, the Eagles executed their spread attack to perfection in the second half, scoring on all three of their possessions to erase a 9-3 deficit.
Meanwhile, Madison County managed only a field goal in the second half in its first loss to Eastside since 1997, ending a three-game winning streak over the once-hapless Covington school. Down 10-9 in the third quarter, Madison County turned the ball over twice—both leading to Eastside touchdowns in dropping 2-1.
“I told the team, ‘Don’t give them a short field. Ultimately, whoever turns over the football least or whoever causes the most turnovers is going to win tonight,’” Owens said. “Unfortunately, that prophecy came true.”
The Raiders routed a Eastside 42-7 during their last trip to Covington, but Owens said this is a different bunch of Eagles. The coach expects Eastside to finish as one of the top three teams in 8-AAAA’s other sub-region.
“You’ve got to give them credit,” Owens said. “They’ve always had the talent. They were a lot more mature. They have held together the whole way through.”
As for Madison County, though painful, the loss will only factor in the 8A-AAAA standings if the Raiders are tied with another sub-region team heading into region playoff week.
Madison County moved the ball well in the first half on a soggy turf Friday, but managed just a 6-3 lead. The Raiders’ lone score came from Spencer Baird, who knifed through the Eagles’ defense for a 13-yard touchdown.
Madison County missed a prime scoring opportunity late in the second quarter when it drove to the five yard line but lost 15 yards on consecutive sacks. That left Jack Orr to attempt a 37-yard field goal that sailed wide right.
Owens noted that his team made four trips into the red zone and only had 9 points to show for it.
The Raiders hadn’t trailed all year until the third quarter when Eastside, which kicked a third quarter field goal to get on the scoreboard, drove 65 yards for a touchdown to take a one-point lead. Madison County’s subsequent drives ended in a fumble and an interception as a comeback attempt faltered.
That made for a long bus ride home.
“They were deeply hurt,” Owens said. “Anytime you’ve invested a lot and it doesn’t pay off, it’s painful. We knew it was a 50-50 shot going in.”
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