Boosted by an opportunistic defense and a relentless ground game, the visiting Liberty-Raleigh Raiders earned a 33-12 win over the Sherman Tide on Friday night at Zontini Field.
The Raiders improved to 4-1. The Tide dropped to 1-4.
Liberty-Raleigh forced six turnovers on defense (two fumbles and four interceptions) and rushed for 401 yards on offense.
The always-intense, third-annual rivalry contest didn’t disappoint during first-half action as the two teams traded big hits and crowd-pleasing stops while the defenses yielded yardage grudgingly throughout a scoreless first quarter.
Tide sophomore quarterback Colby Treadway capped a pair of short scoring drives late in the second quarter with determined touchdown runs (8 and 9 yards) to give Sherman a hard-fought, 12-7 advantage with less than one minute remaining before halftime.
Seemingly set up to carry a barge load of Coal River momentum into intermission, the Tide watched the Raiders snatch that momentum by journeying 72 yards on three runs to stun Sherman and post a go-ahead touchdown.
Senior fullback Nick Hylton, a 200-pound brute, sparked the march with a 22-yard run. Sophomore tailback Jamie Newman then toted the ball 35 yards to the Tide 15. Hylton tallied the touchdown on the next run and junior kicker Jeff Wills added the extra point to set the halftime score at 14-12.
The Raiders added to that momentum — and their edge on the scoreboard — early in the second half when junior linebacker Danny Freeman recovered a Tide fumble inside Sherman’s 30-yard line.
Highlighted by a 16-yard run by senior quarterback Austin Wright, Liberty-Raleigh’s scoring drive was completed by a four-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Dominick Cangemi as the Raiders stretched their lead to 20-12 with 10:18 remaining in the third period.
Liberty-Raleigh threatened to take a commanding lead minutes later when Treadway threw an interception, but senior linebackers Sam Milam, Seth Smith and Michael Showalter paced a clutch defensive effort as the maroon-and-gold stop troops stone-walled the Raiders near the Tide’s 30.
A costly Tide fumble eventually opened the door for Liberty-Raleigh to claim a commanding lead, as Hylton cashed in for the Raiders on a four-yard touchdown burst. The extra point by Wills pushed the lead to 27-12 with 2:12 left to play.
Liberty-Raleigh closed the scoring less than a minute later when Newman busted through Sherman’s defense for an 81-yard touchdown run on the first play following another Tide interception. The extra point failed, but the Raiders had claimed a pull-away victory, 33-12.
Despite the frustrating defeat, Sherman coach Bill Miller enjoyed the hoopla surrounding the Whitesville State Bank Bowl.
“This Sherman versus Liberty rivalry has always been an intense series where so many of the kids and families know each other,” Miller said. “The rivalry has been raised a notch or two with the support and involvement of the Whitesville State Bank.
“The Thursday night pep rally and all of the things that now surround this game really create a great atmosphere for a high school football game between rivals. It all just adds to what was already a big, big game for both teams.”
Hylton (190 yards, two touchdowns) and Newman (180 yards, two touchdowns) combined for 370 yards rushing to pace Liberty-Raleigh’s rushing attack.
For Sherman, Treadway rushed eight times for 53 yards and two scores. He also completed 10-of-26 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions.
Senior tailback Shane Keeney ran 17 times for 70 yards to top the Tide ground game.
Sophomore linebacker Johnny Johnson and freshman cornerback Jacob Halstead each had a fumble recovery for the Tide’s defense. Sophomore cornerback and wide receiver Tyler Boulet paced Sherman’s special teams with a 35-yard punt return to set up a Tide touchdown.
Smith led the Tide with nine tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage. He also deflected two passes.
Milam finished with seven tackles, including three for negative yardage. Treadway followed with six stops. Both combined for a sack.
Junior linebacker Jeff Eliam recorded five tackles and forced one fumble. Showalter also made five stops.
Sophomore cornerback Codie Santonio and sophomore free safety Jake Rollo added four tackles apiece.
Senior cornerback Adam Ellis paced Liberty-Raleigh’s defense with two interceptions.
Sherman (1-4) will host Webster County (2-3) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Zontini Field.
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