Red Raiders bash Tigers

LONDON – A big, impact play at the start wasn’t enough for the McClain Tigers to sustain blow after blow by the state-ranked London Red Raiders Friday night as the Tigers dropped their first game of the season 55-28.

            The game was London’s homecoming, but it was the Tigers who danced their way to the end zone first in the South Central Ohio League opener.

            The opening kickoff was the one bright spot for the Tigers all night, as junior Zach Matracia provided the Tigers with their only lead of the game as he took the ball 86 yards to the end zone for the touchdown. A PAT by Luis Rivas gave MHS a 7-0 lead.

            The 7-point lead for the Tigers didn’t last long as the Division IV Associated Press No. 18 ranked Red Raiders reached the end zone, unanswered, three straight times to take a 14-point advantage at 21-7.

            The first of three touchdowns came from a breakaway run by London’s Justin Hoosier as the running back broke two tackles, then spun past the safety at the 5-yard line to reach the end zone with 6:04 left in the first quarter. MHS kept the lead as LHS had a high snap on the PAT attempt.

            LHS scored their second touchdown as junior quarterback Jeff Yates kept the ball and rushed into the end zone on a first-and-goal carry. Yates passed a two-point conversion to a wide-open Darius Morris.

            Yates continued to lead the Red Raiders on their third drive against MHS as he led his team downfield to the Tiger 37-yard line for a big first down.

            Later in the same offensive set, the Red Raiders reached pay dirt when Hoosier took the ball 5 yards behind the London offensive line for the score with nearly nine minutes remaining in the quarter.

            London, who is 4-0 for the first time in 10 years, allowed the Tigers to get within one touchdown of their lead as MHS junior quarterback Jared Loftis snuck into the end zone on a 1-yard carry with 6:06 left in the second quarter.

            The one possession deficit wasn’t on the scoreboard but for only a few moments as the Red Raider kickoff unit proved to be special as Jake Burns raced the ball back 73 yards to take a 28-14 lead.

            MHS was stopped on a fourth-and-8 late in the second quarter as the pass from Loftis to Matracia was incomplete, giving LHS the ball back with 3:57 left in the opening half.

            Late in the second quarter the Red Raiders rallied downfield, spiking the ball on the McClain 15-yard line with 16 seconds left in the half.

            The Red Raiders capitalized on the field position as Yates found Ben Rinehart in the end zone for their fifth TD of the first half with 4.6 seconds left, to make the score 35-14.

            In their opening drive of the third quarter the Red Raiders took advantage of the MHS defensive backfield, with the Yates to Rinehart combo connecting for a long touchdown reception for the 42-14 lead.

            Yates scored again in the third quarter on a QB keeper, increasing the LHS lead to 48-14.

            The Tigers scored twice more in the SCOL opener when Logan Wise, returning from a week two injury, caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Loftis in the fourth quarter. The drive was kept alive when MHS converted a fourth-and-13 play.

            London scored one final time as Burns broke away for his second TD of the game in the final quarter. The PAT made the score 55-21.

            The final score of the game for the Tigers was by senior running back Zack Mullikin as he bashed his way for a 3-yard score.

            MHS kicker Luis Rivas finished with four extra point conversions.

            London improves to 4-0 overall, 1-0 in the SCOL. The Tigers fall to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league action.

            MHS will be back on the road for the fourth straight week when they face the one-win Madison-Plains Golden Eagles. London will face Jonathan Alder in their final non-league game in week five.