Raiders shut out Eagles
Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 17, 2009
RAYVILLE, La. — No matter how hard they ran, Porters Chapel just spun its wheels deeper and deeper into the Louisiana mud on Friday night.
The Eagles managed just 118 yards of total offense against a tough Riverfield defense — incluing a paltry 19 yards in the second half — and lost for the fifth time in six games, 20-0.
Corbin Carter ran for two touchdowns, and Brad Rogers had 114 yards and a touchdown on the ground for Riverfield, which was the latest opponent to shut down PCA’s offense
Besides its tiny yardage total, PCA turned it over twice, went 0-for-3 on fourth down conversions and went three-and-out on its first three possessions in the second half. The Eagles have scored a total of 29 points and been shut out twice in their last five losses.
“Right now I think it’s confidence. We’ll get a penalty, and that puts us in a situation where Colby (Rushing) is out of his comfort zone because we have to call something he doesn’t feel comfortable with,” PCA coach Bill Fleming said. “When it gets to third and long, they’re not looking for a fullback dive.”
Rushing, PCA’s senior quarterback, had one of the worst games of his career on Friday. He completed just 2 of 10 passes for 23 yards, was intercepted twice and sacked three times. He also carried the ball 14 times for just 14 yards.
Rushing said a combination of Riverfield’s pass rush and a wet football did him in. Most of his deep passes, including both interceptions, were floaters that turned into jump balls. One ended a promising PCA drive inside the 25-yard line in the closing seconds of the first half, when the Raiders led 6-0.
“They were hitting the gaps really good and getting pressure in the backfield,” Rushing said. “A lot of pressure was there. The ball was wet, too, and slipping out of my hand.”
PCA’s defense held Riverfield in check for most of the game. The Raiders gained only 94 yards in the first half and PCA stayed within striking distance with a goal line stand early in the fourth quarter. The struggles of PCA’s offense, though, ultimately allowed Riverfield to pull away.
After a 25-yard punt return by Jeffery Jeselink set up Riverfield inside the PCA 20, Carter punched in a 1-yard TD run to make it 12-0 with 4:18 left in the third quarter. A two-point conversion run by Rogers — who scored the game’s first touchdown on a 39-yard run in the first quarter — made it 14-0.
Riverfield added the clinching score on another 1-yard run by Carter with 1:16 left in the game. The Raiders’ short 38-yard drive was set up by PCA’s failed attempt to convert on fourth-and-3, and aided by two personal foul penalties against the Eagles.
“I think we progessed defensively. They played outstanding,” Fleming said.
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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com