North Cross senior Penn Draper is best known for his catches as a wide receiver for the Raider offense. Saturday afternoon at Thomas Field it was his foot that got all the attention.
Draper sent a 22-yard field goal through the uprights in overtime, securring an exciting 47-44 win over Atlantic Shores Christtan in a game that had significant playoff implications for the Raiders.
“This was a huge win,” North Cross head coach Stephen Alexander noted afterward. “After last week (a 22-20 loss to St. Anne’s -Belfield) our postseason lives were on the line. Penn came through with some high-pressure kicks today.”
Draper, who had no prior connections from 3-point range entering the game, hit from 27 yards to open the North Cross scoring in the first quarter and was 5-for-5 on PATs including the game-tieing boot with 2:29 left in regulation that sent the game to overtime.
Saturday’s homecoming game for the Raiders quickly turned into a track meet, with both teams combining for over 900 yards of offense, with nearly 600 yards coming on the ground.
Atlantic Shores junior running back Brehon Britt gave the Raiders fits all afternoon, amassing 278 yards on the ground on 38 carries. But, the Seahawks were their own worst enemy, turning the ball over 4 times on fumbles and throwing one interception. The Raiders only had a single miscue in the turnover department.
The Seahawks led 20-10 in the second quarter before North Cross turned the tables in a hurry. After a short punt by Atlantic Shores set up the Raiders near midfield, North Cross quarterback Max Revercomb connected on a 46-yard bomb down the left sideline to Draper that drew the Raiders to 20-17. The Seahawks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and North Cross drove for the go-ahead touchdown with 11 seconds left in the half that sent the teams to the locker room with the Raiders up 24-20.
Atlantic Shores looked ready to take control in the third quarter when they scored on their first two possessions and added 2-point conversions on trick plays after each, taking a 36-24 lead. North Cross responded when Isaiah Harris went on a 65-yard bolt on the Raiders’ first play from scrimmage after the kickoff that cut the Seahawks lead to 36-31. North Cross retook the lead with 10:03 left in the game after an Atlantic Shores fumble led to a 28-yard run by junior Ryan Dent. The failed two-point conversion left the Raiders up 37-36.
North Cross went for the knockout punch when the Raiders went for a fourth-and-two near midfield with 5:55 left. Atlantic Shores stopped the effort and the Seahawks scored 1:33 later, with their third two-point conversion sending them ahead 44-37.
The Raiders started on their own 43 after a pooch kickoff by the Seahawks, and Harris carried the ball 46 yards to the Atlantic Shores 11-yard line on the first play. Harris followed with a 10-yard touchdown catch from Revercomb that set up Draper’s late-game heroics.
“It’s a shame there had to be a loser,” Seahawks head coach Wayne Lance said after the game. “Both teams played hard. Hopefully, we”ll both be playoff teams.”
“These were two good teams,” Alexander agreed. “Give these kids credit. The same guys who are playing to score the touchdowns are turning around to play defense.”
– Bill Turner
