One could say the Woodbridge Blue Raiders played a perfect game, and in doing so left the Laurel Bulldogs players, coaches, and fans scratching their heads and wondering what just happened. By comparison, the Bulldogs were entering Saturday’s homecoming game on a high after defeating their rival Seaford Blue Jays, 20-14, and winning the annual Lion’s Trophy last Friday in Seaford. The Raiders had suffered from a devastating loss to the Howard Wildcats, 46-7, during their last outing on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The Raiders appeared to want to redeem themselves, starting the game with a bang that the Bulldogs couldn’t recover from. Woodbridge scored all of the game’s points in the first half and were victorious by the score of 35-0, ruining the Bulldogs homecoming.

Woodbridge Head Coach Marvin Dooley used some divine intervention and told his team about a bible verse, Romans. “Here’s the thing, when you start out 1-4, it’s easy to quit. I relayed to the team a bible verse from Romans 8:18, about how it seems things are bad now, but just you wait, good things will come later. The team has worked hard, and never quit. I’m happy to see them reap the rewards. It was pleasurable. We played great in all three phases on offense, defense, and special teams.”

On the first play of the game, Woodbridge running back Jayven Chapman took off from the 26-yard line, broke several tackles, and ended up on the 48-yard line. The Raiders had thrown the first punch but had another one to follow. On a first and 10, quarterback Daulton McCabe unleashed a booming 52-yard pass to wide receiver Kamryn DeShields for the game’s first score.

The Bulldogs’ first possession stalled after on fourth and 14, giving the ball back to the Raiders. At the 3:48 mark, still in the first quarter, McCabe connected on a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Christian Artson for the game’s second touchdown, making the score 14-0 after a successful extra point kick from kicker Andrew Ritts, who made extra points on four attempts.

The Bulldogs were having all kinds of issues with the yellow flags and could not sustain a fruitful drive. At the 1:56 mark, McCabe and Artson connected again for a 25-yard touchdown, with Artson securing the ball after an eye-popping diving catch, making the score 21-0. McCabe finished the game throwing for 203 yards, and Artson ended with 65-yards receiving, along with two touchdowns.

In the second quarter, Chapman rushed for a nine-yard touchdown and finished his day with a five-yard touchdown reception, which ended the scoring for the game at 35-0. DeShields caught two passes for 81-yards and one touchdown. Nasir Davis led the Raiders defense with eight tackles.

In the second quarter, the Laurel coaches decided to bring into the game a hidden gem named Brynnen Thompson as a running back on offense. Thompson was a workhorse and a highlight for the team with his effort and running style, often breaking tackles and carrying some of the Raiders’ defensive players on his back. Thompson is well-known throughout the state for his defensive prowess and is being highly recruited at the college level. He is a junior.