Raiders go back to the well, top Panthers

Sep. 17—GRAYSON — Most offensive schemes are thin on solutions for fourth-and-goal from the 16-yard line.

East Carter's is no different, but the Raiders had hoped anyway to set up a particular situation and figured there was no time like the present.

East Carter's Gabe Roberts had gotten open earlier Friday night on a slant pattern and broke it 60 yards for a touchdown. On fourth-and-long on the Raiders' next possession, Roberts jabbed his foot as though he were running it again, then executed a double move to get loose on a fade pattern.

Quarterback Eli Estepp led Roberts perfectly for the 16-yard score with 2 seconds to play in the third quarter.

It was the second of East Carter's four unanswered second-half touchdowns to break free from a halftime tie and top Fleming County, 39-14, at Steve Womack Field.

The Panthers cornerback defending Roberts nearly made a play to take away Roberts's first touchdown of the third quarter. East Carter coach Tim Champlin took note.

"We knew if we had an opportunity, we wanted to come back to that and pump it and send (Roberts) on the double move," Champlin said. "That was really the only thing in the playbook for fourth-and-15 or whatever it was, and so Eli makes a great throw, and Gabe runs a great route and goes and catches the ball."

Fleming County coach Bill Spencer credited how the Panthers defended the first East Carter aerial touchdown, but echoed Champlin's observation that it set up the second one.

"I think our corner was a little bit nervous about that slant again," Spencer said. "Kid kinda stuck him to the inside, then got to the outside and Estepp did a great job leading him. He just made a play.

"Good teams make big plays, and they made a big play."

Roberts's two receptions — both touchdowns — for 76 yards nicely complemented Isaac Boggs's 159 yards rushing, Dustin Hall's 74 yards on the ground and Bryer Holbrook's 50 yards.

Holbrook ran for two scores and Boggs and Hall added one house call apiece.

Fleming County effectively established Austin Trent in the running game early. The Panthers did that, Spencer said, both because that was where they wanted to attack East Carter and because it helped keep the Raiders' potent offense off the field.

It worked well in the first half. Trent ran for 105 yards and a touchdown before intermission, at which point the game was tied at 14.

Fleming County (2-3) used a sensational one-handed 13-yard Caleb Igo reception of Nate Ruark's scoring pass and Parker Sills's extra point with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter to knot the score at the break.

East Carter (5-0) took that time to refine its approach, Champlin said.

"It was just getting our D-line and our linebackers to stop getting off different levels," Champlin said. "We were getting guys upfield and guys sitting on the line, and we just weren't creating the wall there that we like to create."

After getting the metaphorical brick and mortar out, the Raiders limited Trent to 15 rushing yards in the third quarter.

Not all of the halftime address was technical in nature, East Carter junior defensive back/tight end Jared Potter said. A reminder of a Raiders bedrock principle — "no quarter," as in no quarter given, was applied.

"We got yelled at," Potter said. "We realized that we weren't playing with a 'no quarter' mindset."

Potter, a first-year reserve who is aiming to crack the starting lineup, took it upon himself to help change that.

"I knew I was gonna get an opportunity to go in, and I knew I had to set that. and that's why I lost my voice," Potter said, alluding to his hoarse interview responses, "getting everybody in the 'no quarter' mindset.

"And we got in it. The scoreboard says it."

Potter also contributed with his play, intercepting two passes and being awarded the game ball for it.

"He's a student of the game, and he wants to get better and compete, and he wants to be on the field on Friday night," Champlin said of Potter. "And he's doing all the right things to get himself there."

East Carter swiped four Panthers throws. Roberts pilfered one in the first quarter and Ashton Lewis snared another on the last play of the game.

"'No quarter,'" Potter said. "That starts with our DBs."

After Estepp and Roberts hooked up for two scoring connections in the third quarter, Hall ran for a 14-yard TD, converting another long fourth-and-goal, with 6:02 to play in the fourth. Holbrook chipped in a 17-yarder for the final score.

Trent finished with 130 rushing yards.

"He gave us all kinds of problems," Champlin said. "There were several times we had him tackled at the line of scrimmage or for a 1- or 2-yard gain, and he would just launch himself forward for another 3 or 4 as he was going down."

Ruark threw for 108 yards and three picks on 12-of-21 passing. Landon Johnson caught six passes for 66 yards.

"I think once we get to playing to our potential and we can tie it all in together for four quarters, we're gonna be pretty daggone tough," Spencer said.

Estepp finished the game after hurting his ankle while being sacked on the final play of first half. Champlin credited Estepp's effort and fight to get through it.

FLEMING CO. 7 7 0 0 — 14

E. CARTER 14 0 12 13 — 39

FIRST QUARTER

EC — Isaac Boggs 53 run (Ryan Carter kick), 9:08

FC — Austin Trent 2 run (Parker Sills kick), 6:28

EC — Bryer Holbrook 1 run (Carter kick), 4:09

SECOND QUARTER

FC — Caleb Igo 13 pass from Nate Ruark (Sills kick), :15

THIRD QUARTER

EC — Gabe Roberts 60 pass from Eli Estepp (kick blocked), 7:11

EC — Roberts 16 pass from Estepp (run fails), :02

FOURTH QUARTER

EC — Dustin Hall 14 run (run fails), 6:02

EC — Holbrook 17 run (Carter kick), 3:58

FC EC

First Downs 20 13

Rushes-Yards 34-150 33-250

Comp-Att-Int 13-24-4 2-5-0

Passing Yards 133 76

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 5-1

Punts-Avg. 3-32.7 1-32.0

Penalties-Yards 9-78 7-42

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Fleming County rushing: Trent 24-130, Igo 5-19, Harn 2-10, Conn 1-4, Team 1-(-6), Lowe 1-(-7).

East Carter rushing: Boggs 15-159, D. Hall 5-74, Holbrook 8-50, Estepp 1-(-5), Team 4-(-28).

Fleming County passing: Ruark 12 of 21 for 108 yards, 3 interceptions; Lowe 1 of 3 for 25 yards, 1 interception.

East Carter passing: Estepp 2 of 5 for 76 yards.

Fleming County receiving: L. Johnson 6-66, Igo 4-25, Stamper 1-25, Farrow 1-10, Morgan 1-7.

East Carter receiving: Roberts 2-76.

(606) 326-2658 — zklemme@dailyindependent.com