Madison County Red Raiders

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald September 25, 2009 edition

* Jacob Owens, Madison Co. - Owens completed 4 of 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two touchdowns as the Red Raiders defeated Salem 21-16

reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 25, 2009 online edition

by Ben Munro

An already big game with Salem Friday just got supersized.

Madison County (3-1) upset Cedar Shoals 29-28 last week and now finds itself tied with Salem and Clarke Central for second place in a wild Region 8-AAAA.

“We’ve just got to keep doin’ work … We’ve just got to keep working and look forward to next week. Salem, baby!,” Raider lineman Connor Boyett said after last week’s victory over Cedar Shoals.

Madison County faces the Seminoles (3-1) at 7:30 p.m. in Danielsville for homecoming.
Beating a talented Cedar Shoals team that advanced to the second round of the state playoffs last year has the Raiders believing as they continue though the teeth of their schedule.

“This builds our confidence a lot to get everybody up,” said Madison County linebacker Kale Bodiford, whose crucial blocked punt with five minutes left was the turning point in the victory over the Jaguars.

Raider coach Randell Owens points to the unpredictability and parity of the region and said Friday’s Madison County victory wasn’t as much of a surprise as people might think.

“I didn’t see it as as much of an upset as other people did,” Owens said.

As for Salem, Madison County faces a team that will throw a lot of speed and athleticism at the Raiders for the second-straight week.

The Seminoles, who’ve won three of the past five region titles, run a spread option similar to that of Georgia Tech and mix in some Wing-T, misdirection game.

Defensively, Salem is probably more athletic than Rockdale County (Madison County’s first opponent) but not as much as Cedar Shoals, Owens said. He added that the Seminoles are very well coached and “better balanced that most folks.”

Meanwhile, Madison County enters the game averaging 36.3 points per game in its last three contests and 241.5 yards on the ground in its last two games. The Raiders piled up 186 yards on the ground in the first half in last week’s victory over Cedar Shoals.

“The offensive line is getting better every week … Last year, we were pretty much right handed and everyone knew it,” Owens said.

Of course, the Cedar Shoals stats and the victory that came with it are now in the past, and Owens said it’s important that his team remember that. The celebration of the Cedar Shoals win ended Sunday, he said.

“If our kids keep buying into that, we have a chance to be successful,” Owens said.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal  online September 18, 2009 edition

On a wild night for special teams, it was a special teams play that finally tipped the scales in Madison County's favor.

Kale Bodiford blocked a Cedar Shoals punt with 5:26 left, setting up Madison County's game-winning touchdown as the Raiders stunned the Jaguars 29-28 Friday at home.

The huge victory moved the Raiders to 3-1 and into a three-way tie for second place in Region 8-AAAA.

"It was just open," Bodiford said of the block. "We just played our butts off. It was teamwork. It was all teamwork."

Bodiford's crucial play came after the Raiders, trailing 28-22, forced Cedar Shoals to punt after a three-and-out.

Bodiford broke through the line for the block and Donavan Carey scooped the loose ball around the Jaguar 40 and raced down to the nine yard line.

Raider quarterback Jacob Owens scored two plays later, tying the game at 28. Ian Webster's PAT gave Madison County the one-point advantage with 4:35 left.

Madison County's defense made sure there'd be no late drama as the Jaguars went backwards on their first three plays of their final offensive series.

Cedar Shoals opted to punt on fourth-and-14, but -- on a night of special team mishaps for both teams -- mishandled the attempt. Madison County took over at the Jaguar 17 and ran the clock out.

With the victory, the Raiders have already eclipsed last year's win total. Madison County defensive end Connor Boyett said his team was not to be denied in this one, remembering that last year's loss to Cedar Shoals started a seven-game losing streak following a 2-1 start.

"We started off last year 2-1, and we did not want to have the same record as last year," he said.

It was a roller coaster evening for the Raiders, who got started with a 59-yard touchdown from Jamal Cooper on the third play from scrimmage and built a 22-7 halftime lead after touchdown runs of seven and 26 yards from Kendrick Butler. The Raiders gashed Cedar Shoals for 186 yards on the ground in the first half and 222 in the game.

Madison County watched that lead evaporate in the second half, however, as Cedar Shoals rallied for three touchdowns, two of which were set-up by botched Raider punt attempts.

But the defense came up with big stop late when Madison County needed it, setting up Bodiford's heroics.

"It was a great win," Bodiford said. "It was crazy ... It was tough, but we did it."

STATISTICS

RUSHING: Cooper 6-78-1 TD; Owens 13-57-1 TD; Butler 4-48-2 TD; Maxwell 16-47; Turner 2-0; Cheek 1-15
PASSING: Owens 0-4, 0 yds; Cheek 0-1, 0 yds

REGION SCORES

Apalachee 21, Clarke Central 7
Madison Co. 29, Cedar Shoals 28
Salem 21, Monroe Area 8
Habersham Central 31, Loganville 27
Winder-Barrow 7, Heritage 0

REGION STANDINGS

Apalachee 3-0
Madison Co. 3-1
Clarke Central 3-1
Salem 3-1
Hab. Central 2-2
Cedar Shoals 2-2
Loganville 1-2
Winder-Barrow 1-2
Rockdale Co. 1-2
Heritage 1-3
Monroe Area 0-4

reprinted from The Madison County Journal online edition September 18, 2009

by Ben Munro