The Woodbridge varsity football team scored touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters while the defense shut out Milford for a 14-0 homecoming win last Friday night in Greenwood.
“We’ve faced a lot of adversity but it’s nice to see the kids play hard,” said Woodbridge head coach Marvin Dooley. “Special teams won field position. The defense played solid all day long.”
Raiders’ wide receiver Ji’Kare Banks makes a fingertip pass reception against the Milford defender. The play covered 30 yards and gave Woodbridge a first down. Photo by Bernard W. Carr
Woodbridge moved the ball downfield on its opening possession. The Raiders faked a punt on fourth and five from the Milford 37 but came up two yards short of a first down and turned the ball over.
The Woodbridge defense held the Buccaneers to three plays and out on its first possession of the game. The Raiders’ Traci Johnson had runs of 17 and 30 yards before running the ball in on third and goal from the two on the first play of the second quarter. Johnson ran in the two-point conversion but it was called back due to a Woodbridge penalty. The second try was no good, but the Raiders held a 6-0 lead over the Bucs with 11:48 left in the first half.
The two teams exchanged punts until late in the half when the Woodbridge offense started with the ball on its 19 yard-line. A Milford penalty and a 14-yard run by senior Ci-Atrick Stones moved the ball into Bucs territory with 1:31 remaining. The Bucs stopped Johnson short of a first down on fourth and one from the 31 with 35 seconds left, then gave the ball back to the Raiders on an interception by Stones. Woodbridge took a knee to take a 6-0 lead into half-time on homecoming night.
Milford received the kick to start the second half, but Woodbridge’s Quincy Risper recovered a fumble on third down to give the ball to his offense.The Raiders turned the ball over on downs then got it back following an interception by Marquel Clark.
Woodbridge’s offense took over on the Milford nine, but the ball was snapped over the quarterback’s head for a 16-yard loss on first down. The Raiders were pushed back even further following a penalty and had to punt on fourth and goal from the 32.
Milford moved the ball into Woodbridge territory on a 21-yard pass from John Hudson to DenNare Horsey and a six-yard keeper by Hudson. The Raiders’ Samuel Schroeder recorded a sack on fourth and four from the Woodbridge 49 to end the threat.
The teams exchanged punts with the Raiders starting with the ball on their own five early in the fourth quarter and putting together a 95-yard scoring drive. Johnson had a nine-yard run, Logan Moran completed a 23-yard pass to Johnson, and Stones added a 15-yard run to move the ball to the Milford 46. Moran completed a 27-yard pass to Ji’Kare Banks on third and seven from the Bucs 43 and Johnson scored on a nine-yard run on fourth and three. Stones ran in the two-point conversion to give Woodbridge a 14-0 lead with 2:45 left in the game.
Dooley said he was looking for his team to get three first downs on the drive, instead it got a touchdown. Moran, up from the JV team, helped lead the way for Woodbridge with a pair of completions.
The Raiders’ Davon Cooper recorded a sack and Milford’s pass on fourth down fell incomplete to seal the Woodbridge win.
Johnson surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the year in the second half. He entered the game needing 67 yards.
“It shows, never judge a man by his size,” said Dooley, who added that his senior running back runs hard on every down. “It’s never about individual goals, it’s all about the team, but that’s a great feat.”
