Madison County Red Raiders

reprinted from The Madison County Journal October 8, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

So how does the Madison County defense top this?

The Red Raiders limited Habersham Central to a paltry 75 yards of total offense last Friday, recorded five sacks and forced three turnovers in a 35-6 drumming of the “other” Raiders from Mt. Airy.

This Friday, Madison County faces defending region champion Loganville.

“We’ve just got to come out and do it again … We’ve all got confidence in each other to do what we’re supposed to do,” Madison County linebacker Donavan Carey said after the victory.

This unit has reason to be confident.

The Madison County defenders have surrendered just 22 points in their last two games as the team has claimed sole possession of second place in 8-AAAA.

This week’s task: Stop one of the state’s top running backs, Storm Johnson, a highly-touted Division I-A prospect, who highlights Loganville.

But this is a defense that, over the past few weeks, has accepted whatever challenge has come its way.
Against Cedar Shoals three weeks ago, the defensive unit came up with two key stops late in a 29-28 victory.

Two weeks ago against Salem, the Raider defense produced a memorable goal line stand, stopping the Seminoles on six plays inside the five-yard line. That defensive series helped lift Madison County to a 21-16 victory.

Then against Habersham, the Madison County defense was all over the field, forcing three take-aways and limiting Habersham Central to just five first downs on the evening. Jeremiah NeSmith led the defensive effort with nine tackles, including two sacks. He already has eight sacks on the season.

Coach Randell Owens credited his defensive staff’s preparation and his players’ week of practice for the Habersham game success.

“We had the best week of practice since I’ve been here,” Owens said.

And the Raider defense is playing the best it has all season. Madison County’s defense has demonstrated a marked improvement since the beginning of the year. The Raiders surrendered 28 points in their season-opening loss to Rockdale County and 29 the following week in a close win over Winder-Barrow. But Madison County allowed just one touchdown last week to a Habersham Central team that scored 42 points in its previous outing.

The resurgence is partly a product of simply being healthier.

The Raiders were ravaged by sickness and injuries at the start of the season, but Owens said his team was the healthiest it’s been all year during preparation for Habersham Central.

As for this week, most everyone on the sick and injured list — as of Monday — is now available, save for two players, who fall into the “probable” category.

“So we’re probably the best shape we’ve been in all year at this point,” Owens said.

The offense has helped, too, by keeping the defense off the field.

Owens noted a 14-play drive during the first quarter against Habersham Central. Though Madison County scored no points, it did keep the defense on the sidelines for quite a long stretch. And for those who play both ways, a long offensive drive is much less draining than a long defensive stand, Owens said.

“Our offensive plan meshed well,” he said.

Madison County hopes the same factors come into play Friday when the Raiders face Loganville.

Madison County, which held Habersham Central to just 23 rushing yards, must stop Johnson, who is a four-star recruit who recently decommitted from LSU. Owens said Loganville is talented athletically.

“They’ve had some situations where they’ve turned the ball over in crucial situations that have cost them,” Owens said. “But they’re scoring a lot of points against everybody.”

Madison County’s defense hopes to reverse that trend.

Because if it can, the Raiders have a shot to earn their sixth win of the year.

That would clinch a winning season and secure one part of Madison County’s two-part goal this season.
“Have a winning season and get to the state playoffs, and then anything can happen,” Owens said. “And that’s the mantra.”

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald October 8, 2009 edition

By Roger Clarkson
roger.clarkson@onlineathens.com
DANIELSVILLE - After dropping its first game of the season, Madison County faced a crossroads. It could either continue an unsightly trend that started a year ago or change directions.
The switch provided instant results as the Red Raiders (5-1, 5-1) have won five straight and are in second place in Region 8-AAAA.
"Absolutely, I'm happy with the way things are going now," Madison County quarterback Jacob Owens said.
Owens has been slowed this week by illness, but should be ready for tonight's game against Loganville.
"After the first game, everybody was like, 'Look, this is our senior year. Do we want to do like last year and lay down and quit and let people beat us, or do we want to do something about it' " Owens said. "So we decided to do something about it. We've been working hard and decided that people weren't going to beat us around like they did last year."
Madison County hopes to win its sixth consecutive game when it hosts the Red Devils (3-2, 3-2) at 7:30 p.m. today at Red Raider Stadium.
Madison County ended 2008 by losing seven straight games. The Red Raiders could have continued down that path after they lost to Rockdale County 28-6 in the season opener, but Madison County regrouped.
"Us seniors really took it upon ourselves to set things right after the first game," Madison County running back Kendrick Butler said. "A lot of last year's seniors really didn't care, at all. We don't want to be pushed around like we were last year."
The biggest change in Madison County 's offensive outlook is its emphasis on running. The Red Raiders have shifted their focus from throwing the ball out of the spread to running the option. The Red Raiders are averaging 28.5 points a game with the new look.
"The way we do it really suits our kids, especially our linemen," Madison County coach Randell Owens said. "Our linemen are really built for firing out and trying to knock the other guy backward. I think it suits our backs and quarterback, too."
Butler leads the team in rushing with 359 yards. He also has six touchdowns and averages 10 yards per carry. Jamal Cooper moved from wide receiver to running back and has 200 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Owens, Randell Owens' son, has 90 rushing yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
Fullback Stan Maxwell has 216 yards and two scores. Maxwell is a cousin of former Red Raider receiver Aldreakis Allen and is in his first year of playing organized football.
"Kendrick is really shifty, and he can make a lot of people miss," Jacob Owens said. "Jamal is one of the fastest guys in the state, so when he gets into the open, you're not going to catch him. Stan has really come on for not playing before. He's become more comfortable and really become a big part of the offense."
Butler has become Madison County 's home run hitter. He has also caught four passes for 120 yards. He averages 12.0 yards per touch. Last week against Habersham Central, Butler ran for 94 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns in the Red Raiders 35-6 win.
"I'm just running where the holes are, so my line is doing a great job," Butler said. "None of us can go anywhere without the line. They're really good at making holes to make us running backs look good."

reprint from The Madison County Journal Mainstreet News October 29, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

Apalachee didn’t earn a no. 7 ranking in Class AAAA based on flair and finesse.

Madison County (5-3) faces an 8-0 Wildcat football team Friday night that likes to pound the football down opponents’ gullets.

“They’re loaded,” Red Raider coach Randell Owens said. “They’ve got some great running backs.”

Apalachee, which gashed Madison County for 467 yards on the ground last year, boasts a potent trio of backs — Jon Lee, Reggie Battle and John Ansley — that’s helped it clinch the school’s first region title with two games to spare.

While Loganville’s Storm Johnson might be the most sought-after running back in the region by colleges, Apalachee’s stable of ball carriers might be more complete high school football players, Owens said.

“I’ll take them any day,” he said. “It doesn’t matter which one has the ball. They can all take it to the house.”

Compounding the problem is that Apalachee operates out of the Wing-T, a scheme that thrives on concealment of the actual ball carrier through fakes and misdirection.

“Inside, outside, misdirection or pass, there’s about four things that go off each series,” Owens said.

So what will it take to contain the Wildcats’ backs and Wing-T attack?

“Try to control the line of scrimmage and stop the explosion play,” Owens said.

Similarly, Apalachee coach Shane Davis is wary of Madison County’s offensive scheme, noting that the Red Raiders will do everything from using two tight end sets to spreading it out and throwing the ball around the field. In fact, Madison County passed for 442 yards against the Wildcats in 2008.

“It is not going to be easy this week,” Davis said. “Madison County will be as athletic offensively as anyone we’ve seen. They are able to do so many things.”

Apalachee is coming off a pair of one-point victories, edging Loganville, 42-41, Oct. 17 and Heritage, 24-23, last week. While Apalachee has already locked up the region title and no. 1 seed out of Region 8-AAAA for the state playoffs, this game has huge postseason implications for the Red Raiders, who had last week off.

There’s a chance Madison County could finish as high as second place in the region with victories over Apalachee Friday and Clarke Central next week.

There’s also a chance that the Red Raiders could sneak into the postseason if they split the last two games, but those odds aren’t good.

Basically, Madison County considers both games must-wins.

“We’ve got to win both games to go to the state playoffs,” Owens said.

Meanwhile, the region could be looking at a frantic finish over these last two weeks.

Only one team, Apalachee, has its postseason destination locked up, while five others are mathematically capable of earning a playoff spot.

“Three of those five are going to the playoffs,” Owens said. “When the dust settles, we want to be one of them.”

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald  October 2, 2009 edition