By Lynn Schofer
The Woodbridge Blue Raiders congratulated football, cheer, and band seniors prior to the start of the final game of the season against Sussex Tech last Friday.
The Ravens controlled the first half, scoring 22 points while the Raiders played back into the game in the second half. The Sussex Tech defense held off the final Woodbridge possession taking a 28-20 win.
The Blue Raiders’ defense totaled 52 tackles, led by Te’Quan Smith with 10 solo and two assisted tackles and King Peden with six solo and two assisted tackles. Senior Tyler Eley led with 92 yards rushing followed by Jayven Chapman with 52 yards and Malachi Hayes with 20 yards.
Sussex Tech quarterback Knox Sheets steps over the goal line during Friday’s game. He was ruled to have stepped out of bounds before entering the end zone
Sussex Tech’s Isaiah Fountain led the team with 13 tackles and both Braydon Hazzard and Brayden Truitt each had 10 tackles with a team total of 74 tackles. Offensively, sophomore Eric Wright-McGlotten rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns and Rashad Holland had 84 yards and one touchdown.
In the first quarter, the Ravens turned their first possession over after failing to convert a fourth down. The Blue Raiders moved the ball quickly using Eley, but were stopped at midfield and punted the ball back to Tech.
In the opening plays of the second quarter, Holland and Wright-McGlotten moved the team to mid-field. On the next play, quarterback Knox Sheets handed off to McGlotten who ran 51 yards for the touchdown. The Ravens attempted two points but the defense stopped McGlotten and the score with 11 minutes to play in the half was 6-0.
Holland pulled in two interceptions with one in the second quarter with nine minutes to play in the half. The 12-yard pass intended for Peden was intercepted at the 48 yard-line. The possession was then turned over on downs when the Raider defensive line held the Ravens. Woodbridge, unable to make a first down, returned the ball to Sussex Tech and with two minutes to play in the half, McGlotten gobbled up the yardage for his second touchdown. Hazzard was able to add two points and Sussex Tech led 14-0.
Holland nabbed a second interception in the final plays of the first half when the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage. McGlotten broke free running 23 yards before Cale Hudson pulled him down at the 19 yard-line. In the final 13 seconds, Woodbridge gave yardage on defensive off-sides, Jaimere Jackson broke up a pass play, and Sheets tucked and ran to the one yard-line with one second to go in the half. McGlotten added a third touchdown and a PAT by Matthew Persaud gave Tech a 21-0 half-time lead.
In the second half, Woodbridge came to the line with changes on offense that moved the ball quickly. Moves to the outside and runs down the sidelines and a touchdown by Chapman put the Blue Raiders on the board with six points. The team attempted a two-point conversion but were stopped by the Ravens and the score stood at 21-6.
The Blue Raiders’ energy mounted when the team recovered the kick-off fumble. Eley ran to the 18 yard-line for a first down and a touchdown pass by Daulton McCabe added six more points for the 21-12 score.
In the final moments of the quarter, Sussex Tech responded when the defense pulled in the third interception of the game. Holland swallowed up yards for a touchdown and the score remained 28-12 after a failed two-point conversion play.
The fourth quarter was packed with powerful plays on both sides of the ball and Sussex Tech forced a turnover on downs after stopping three passing plays by the Blue Raiders.
Woodbridge pushed and Anthony Clairmont pulled in two passes that brought Woodbridge to the 19 yard-line. On third down, McCabe connected with Chapman and Hayes scored from the two yard-line. Smith converted the two points for the 28-20 score with 1:44 on the clock.
The Ravens’ possession ended with a punt inside a minute to play. The Blue Raiders were unable to score on the final possession and Sussex Tech held on for the win. Sussex Tech finishes the regular season 7-3 while Woodbridge ended 1-9 on the season.
