Raider Football - Update

Back on September 20th, we let you know how much we appreciate Central Raider football.  It was a tough start to the season, losing the first seven games.  Of course we were at every game, whether it was 90+ degrees heat or torrential downpours, we were there (Lex was at 2 games, Luke was probably at 5, while Kieran was at all 7).  Win or lose, playoffs or not....we are there....to support the team....as Kieran says "we're Raiders."

The last game of the year, it began to change.  Wednesday night, before MEA break, the Raiders defeated the LSH Giants....Kieran was really happy.

That win earned the Raiders a #6 seed in the 2AA playoff bracket and a matchup against the #3 seed Zumbrota-Mazzepa Cougars the next Tuesday night.  It was an hour and a half drive, a school night, thirty degrees, but we were there!

It was a back and forth game, the Cougars looked tough....

We made sure to eat our share of popcorn....

Stop with the pictures, I just want to eat!

Things went the Raider way, we score a late touchdown to get within one point and went for the two point conversion and the win.  We got the two-point conversion on a half-back pass back to the quarterback with about 2 minutes left in the game.  The defense held on to win!

Four days later was the Section 2AA Semifinal game against the #2 seed Medford, in Medford.  It's the first game that we've missed in years (we had a camper cabin reserved at Jay Cooke State Park, post coming soon, for a couple of months prior).....but we're happy to report the Raiders pulled off a 35-14 victory without us!

Section final was last night, with a win the Raiders would make the State Tournament and have a matchup against Maple Lake (see the September 20 post to see Kieran's feelings on Maple Lake).  The underdog Raiders would be going against the #1 Seed Pine Island Panthers, at Pine Island.  We rode with Rich Schug and uncle Craig to Pine Island, with the beans out of the fields, some thought it looked a little like Nebraska on the drive.

Rich & Craig wondering (where the hell are we?)

The Raiders were in their road white uniforms, played a great game.  Pine Island fans we spoke to asked "how could this team be 1-7 in the regular season?  They're the best team we've seen all year."

That's right Pine Island, you suck and we're scoring

Even though we played a great first half, we got hosed on a couple of calls in the first half, stupid frickin refs.....but were still tied 14-14 at halftime....

Raiders at halftime

To start the second half, the Raiders got the ball first.  Kieran paid a lot of attention to the game during the second half, he knew the game was close and even he wanted a state tournament berth (he certainly remembers losing out to Maple Lake a few years ago).

Kieran and uncle Craig watching the 2nd half.

The Raiders scored first, putting the score at 21-14 in the second half.  Unfortunately, poor kick coverage allowed Pine Island to tie the score at 21-21 immediately after a long kick return for a touchdown.  (You win some, you lose some).

The Raiders went ahead with a 20 yard touchdown run and kicked the extra point to go ahead 28-21, with 4 minutes remaining in the game.  Pine Island started their drive from the 35 yard line and slowly drove down the field (converting at least one 4th and 1 along the way).  They eventually scored a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the game.  They decided to go for the two-point conversion (instead of the extra point, which would have tied the game and sent it into overtime) and made that as well.  The score was now 29-28, with about 25 seconds left in the game.  That is how it remained....

The Central Raiders lost in the 2AA Section Final, no state tournament.  On the way back to the truck, as Kieran and I kept a a distance between Rich and Craig, there were tears in Kieran's eyes when he said "now we have another team we don't like."