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Reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 20, 2007 edition
Owens: ‘They’ll Probably Play Their Best Game of the Year’
By Ben Munro
There are plenty of squads a team might like to see coming off its first loss of the season. Dacula (1-2) isn’t one of them.
The Raiders (2-1,0-0)—24-9 loss to Eastside over the weekend—must regroup by Friday to face a big-name foe on the road in their Region 8-AAAA opener.
Madison County head coach, Randell Owens isn’t putting too much stock in Dacula’s sub -.500 start.
“We’re going to be playing a team that feels they’ve got something to prove,” Madison County head coach Randell Owens said. “They’re on a mission.”
Welcome to the sub-region, Raiders.
How’s this for a gut-check? The 8A-AAAA opener against Dacula ushers in a brutal three-game stretch for Madison County against the region’s playoff teams from last year. After Dacula, the Raiders face Clarke Central September 28 and Habersham Central October 5.
Of course, it’s not like the Raiders are looking ahead to anywhere except Friday.
Dacula, 10-2 a year ago, advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2006, losing to Marist 14-7.
Against Dacula, the Raiders will face a team reinvigorated after a 42-6 victory over Rockdale County. The Falcons had gotten off to an un-Dacular like 0-2 start—faciling to Class AAAAA schools Central Gwinnett and Mill Creek—before blowing the Bulldogs out this past Friday.
Dacula has enjoyed more success the past three seasons than that of any other team in 8-AAAA, averaging 10 wins a year from 2004-2006. The Falcons advanced to the state semi-finals in 2005 as a member of Class AAAAA.
If Dacula isn’t the same team as they’ve been, the Falcons haven’t fallen off much.
“They’re about three people short of what they have been,” Owens said.
Madison County bid for an upset of the north Georgia power last year when it led Dacula in the fourth quarter in Danielsville before losing 17-7 in one of the Raiders’ biggest home games in memory.
Now, Madison County must go on the road to try to beat the Falcons for the first time in school history.
Wrenching as this past Friday’s loss to Eastside might have been, at least the Raiders’ goals won’t change one iota heading into Friday when they start the sub-region slate on the road against traditional stalwart Dacula.
The loss to the Eagles, who reside on the other side of Region 8-AAAA, doesn’t count in sub-region positioning unless Madison County ends up tied with another school in the final standings.
The Raiders’ next six games will determine whether they’ll be one of the four teams out of the sub-region playing in Week 10 for a chance to advance to the Class AAAA playoffs.
“Everything else was in preparation for the next six games,” Owens said of the season to this point. “And all that’s to jockey for positioning so you’re in that game 10 and have a chance to win and go to the state playoffs.”
In a sense, the Raiders get to start all over. Of course, playing Dacula is a tough way to begin again.
“They’ll be on a mission against us,” Owens said. “They’ll probably play their best game of the year.”
Owens: ‘They’ll Probably Play Their Best Game of the Year’
By Ben Munro
There are plenty of squads a team might like to see coming off its first loss of the season. Dacula (1-2) isn’t one of them.
The Raiders (2-1,0-0)—24-9 loss to Eastside over the weekend—must regroup by Friday to face a big-name foe on the road in their Region 8-AAAA opener.
Madison County head coach, Randell Owens isn’t putting too much stock in Dacula’s sub -.500 start.
“We’re going to be playing a team that feels they’ve got something to prove,” Madison County head coach Randell Owens said. “They’re on a mission.”
Welcome to the sub-region, Raiders.
How’s this for a gut-check? The 8A-AAAA opener against Dacula ushers in a brutal three-game stretch for Madison County against the region’s playoff teams from last year. After Dacula, the Raiders face Clarke Central September 28 and Habersham Central October 5.
Of course, it’s not like the Raiders are looking ahead to anywhere except Friday.
Dacula, 10-2 a year ago, advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2006, losing to Marist 14-7.
Against Dacula, the Raiders will face a team reinvigorated after a 42-6 victory over Rockdale County. The Falcons had gotten off to an un-Dacular like 0-2 start—faciling to Class AAAAA schools Central Gwinnett and Mill Creek—before blowing the Bulldogs out this past Friday.
Dacula has enjoyed more success the past three seasons than that of any other team in 8-AAAA, averaging 10 wins a year from 2004-2006. The Falcons advanced to the state semi-finals in 2005 as a member of Class AAAAA.
If Dacula isn’t the same team as they’ve been, the Falcons haven’t fallen off much.
“They’re about three people short of what they have been,” Owens said.
Madison County bid for an upset of the north Georgia power last year when it led Dacula in the fourth quarter in Danielsville before losing 17-7 in one of the Raiders’ biggest home games in memory.
Now, Madison County must go on the road to try to beat the Falcons for the first time in school history.
Wrenching as this past Friday’s loss to Eastside might have been, at least the Raiders’ goals won’t change one iota heading into Friday when they start the sub-region slate on the road against traditional stalwart Dacula.
The loss to the Eagles, who reside on the other side of Region 8-AAAA, doesn’t count in sub-region positioning unless Madison County ends up tied with another school in the final standings.
The Raiders’ next six games will determine whether they’ll be one of the four teams out of the sub-region playing in Week 10 for a chance to advance to the Class AAAA playoffs.
“Everything else was in preparation for the next six games,” Owens said of the season to this point. “And all that’s to jockey for positioning so you’re in that game 10 and have a chance to win and go to the state playoffs.”
In a sense, the Raiders get to start all over. Of course, playing Dacula is a tough way to begin again.
“They’ll be on a mission against us,” Owens said. “They’ll probably play their best game of the year.”
Eagles Spread Wings in Second Half
Posted by Randell Owens at Sep 19, 2007 5:00PM PDT
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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.”
| Individual Defensive Statistics | |||||||||||
| Tackles | Fumbles | Other | |||||||||
| Player | 1st Hits | Assists | Sacks | Total | Caused | Recovered | PBU | INT | Block Kick | TD | Safety |
| C. Escoe | 8 | 3 | - | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| M. Hall | 3 | 2 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Allen | 3 | 2 |
1 |
6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Tilton | 5 | 5 | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bt. Russell | 6 | 1 |
.5 |
7.5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Pittard | 2 | 4 |
.5 |
6.5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N. Ginn | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Kraeling | 2 | 0 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Young | 4 | 1 | - | 5 |
- |
- |
1 |
- | - | - | - |
| D. Randall | 3 | 4 | - | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| B. Turner | 5 | 1 | - | 6 | - | - |
1 |
- | - | - | - |
| C. Johnson | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T.J. McGuire | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bd. Russell | 2 | 2 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| J. Anglin | 1 | 3 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| K. Butler | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| A. Stevens | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T. Adams | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| C. Vaughn | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| J. Orr | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| B. Dalton | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| J. Stuchell |
1 |
0 |
- |
1 |
|||||||
| Team Totals | 46 | 29 | 0 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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