Madison County Red Raiders

By ROGER CLARKSON  |  roger.clarkson@onlineathens.com  |  Story updated at 12:36 am on 9/6/2008

DANIELSVILLE - Madison County played Friday's game like a team that felt it needed to prove something after a season-opening loss last week. Winder-Barrow played like a team taking its first live snaps of the season after installing a new offense.

The result went predictably as Madison County overwhelmed the mistake-prone Bulldoggs 44-7 at Red Raider Field.

Winder-Barrow (0-1, 0-1 in Region 8-AAAA) fumbled the first four times it touched the ball. Madison County (1-1, 1-1) jumped on two of those turnovers deep in Bulldoggs' territory, took a 35-0 halftime lead and played its backups the second half.

Last week, Madison County turned the ball over three times and lost the season opener to Rockdale County 25-14.

"Last week was like working all week and not getting paid," Madison County coach Randell Owens said. "We made a lot of mistakes and they cost us. But a team makes its most improvement from its first game to its second game. We were playing our second game and they were playing their first and I think that showed up."

Winder-Barrow had a bye last week and played its first game of the season on Friday with a new spread offense under new head coach Ben Corley. The Bulldoggs turned the ball over five times, including four in the first half.

"We made some mistakes with our ball security early," Corley said. "I don't know how much this being our first game had to do with it. But we played better as the game went on."

Although Madison County got early opportunities, it took a dramatic route to its first score.

The Red Raiders' Matt Dove jumped on a Winder-Barrow fumble at the Bulldoggs' 37-yard line on the second play of the game. Madison County moved to a first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. But two penalties pushed the Red Raiders backward, including a false start that rubbed out an 8-yard touchdown run by Kendrick Butler.

On fourth-and-goal from the 15, Red Raider quarterback Jacob Owens, Randell Owens' son, found Bracken Turner in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

"That was really important to get that touchdown," Jacob Owens said. "The defense set us up pretty well and we needed to convert those opportunities. We didn't do that as well last week."

Disaster struck Winder-Barrow a second time in as many possessions as Madison County's Alex Young jumped on a fumbled lateral at the Bulldoggs' 13-yard line.

Four plays later, Aldreakis Allen burst through the middle of the Bulldoggs' defense for a 6-yard touchdown and the Red Raiders led 13-0 with 5:57 left in the first quarter.

"We had to get those early scores to get some confidence," Randell Owens said. "When we got down there and had the penalties and got backed up, we were thinking 'Oh no, here we go again.' But the kids made great plays and converted when we needed."

Madison County forced four first-half turnovers and took a 35-0 halftime lead. Jacob Owens scored on a 3-yard keeper and a 2-yard keeper to give Madison County a 28-0 lead. The first half finished much like it started as a Winder-Barrow fumble set up a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Owens to Aldreakis Allen to end the half.

Jacob Owens completed 9 of 13 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in just one half of work. He also ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Turner caught five passes for 64 yards and a score. Jamal Cooper caught three passes for 71 yards. Allen touched the ball three times and scored two touchdowns.

Madison County held Winder-Barrow to 56 yards and four first downs in the game. Winder-Barrow managed 23 rushes for minus-1 yard. It also completed 3 of 16 passes for 57 yards with an interception.

GAME REPORT

• TURNING POINT: Winder-Barrow fumbled the first four times it snapped the ball.

• KEY STAT: Winder-Barrow finished the first half with four turnovers and one first down.

• IMPACT: Madison County bounces back from three turnovers in a season-opening loss last week to win its first Region 8-AAAA game.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, September 06, 2008

(story reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald, August 30, 2008 edition)

Rockdale County 25, Madison County 14
By Ryan Lavner  |  sports@onlineathens.com  |  Story updated at 12:44 am on 8/30/2008

CONYERS - It was a rather inauspicious start to the season for the new-look Madison County Red Raiders, whose explosive offense and athletic, swarming defense were little more than works in progress Friday night.

Madison County turned the ball over three times and had little success stopping Rockdale County's Wing-T offense in a 25-14 loss at Reid Stadium, leaving the Red Raiders in an early hole in Region 8-AAAA.

"It's devastating, man, that's all I can say," said Madison County tailback Aldreakis Allen, who ran for 96 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown.

With the victory, Rockdale County matched its win total from 2007, when the Bulldogs went 1-9, including 1-4 in the region.

"They weren't very good last year," Madison County coach Randell Owens said, "but we weren't playing last year's team."

No, they were not, and that was apparent from the onset.

Rockdale County scored on its opening drive, relentlessly pushing Madison County's defensive line backward and fooling the inexperienced linebacking corps with misdirection plays.

David Calloway rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and Javon Lucus had 106 yards on 14 carries for Rockdale County, which had 273 yards of total offense. That alone was a stark contrast to last year's team, Owens said.

"They could run, but they weren't doing it in a choreographed effort, with everybody running in the same direction," he said.

As a result, Madison County had to alter its gameplan when it had the ball, shifting from a quick-strike offense to one that needed to prolong drives and keep its defense on the bench.

The results were mixed - at best.

The Red Raiders ran just 14 plays and totaled 101 yards in the first half, most of which came on a 54-yard run by quarterback Jacob Owens and Allens' 26-yard touchdown run with 1:20 remaining in the second quarter. After that score, Rockdale County quickly countered with a 52-yard touchdown pass in which a streaking Ryan Culbreath beat man-to-man coverage down the left sideline.

"They've got some athletes, man," Allen said. "They're coming out hard and they've got a coach who's putting it in their heads that they can win."

After trailing 18-6 at halftime, Madison County went on an 18-play, 86-yard drive that took eight minutes and was capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by junior Kendrick Butler. Aided by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, Rockdale County extinguished that momentum with a 19-play scoring drive that pushed its lead to 11.

"As a senior, it's frustrating for me, and it's frustrating for the team," Allen said. "I put this team on my shoulders and I've got to do whatever I can to help them win. We've just got to keep working hard."

Stacy Mack caught a 76-yard touchdown pass that could have cut the Red Raiders' deficit to three with 41/2 minutes left, but the play was nullified by a block-in-the-back penalty.

Jacob Owens, making his first varsity start, threw an interception on the next play. He rushed for 71 yards on five carries, but was 0-for-4 passing with two sacks and a turnover.

GAME REPORT

• Turning point: After Madison County opened the second half with a 18-play, 86-yard scoring drive, Rockdale County immediately responded with a lengthy drive and touchdown run by David Calloway that pushed its lead to 11 points.

• Key Stat: Rockdale County tailbacks Javon Lucus and David Calloway combined to rush for 169 yards on 34 carries, leading an overpowering rushing attack.

• Impact: Madison County begins the season in an early hole in Region 8-AAAA, one of the most competitive in Northeast Georgia. The defense's inability to stop the run will need to be addressed before Friday, when the Red Raiders host Winder-Barrow.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, August 30, 2008

(story reprinted from The Madison County Journal, August 28, 2008 edition.

But it’s the Raiders’ job to make sure the ones in uniform don’t sprint up and down the football field at will Friday night.

Madison County opens the season Friday night against what Owens described as a dangerous Rockdale County outfit, despite the Conyers team’s 1-9 mark last fall.

“If you make a mistake against them, it’s pretty unforgiving,” Owens said.

Rockdale County has a new coach this year, Michael Etheridge, after last year’s one-win season.

Loaded with athleticism in the backfield, Rockdale County’s speed is potent enough to score from anywhere on the field. Owens said a team can play solid defense against a team like Rockdale all night, only to get burned by another number of fast Bulldogs with just one defensive breakdown.

For the rest of the story, see the Aug. 28 print edition of The Madison County Journal.

(story reprinted from The MainStreetNews Sports webpage @http://www.mainstreetnewssports.com/archives/325-Rocked-by-Rockdale.html August 29, 2008 posting.