Red Raiders 4th quarter rally defeats Woodland

Jerry E. Halmon, Sports Editor

The Red Raider faithful that left Leon Maxwell Stadium at the end of the third quarter of Friday night’s second round Class 2-AA Division 2 Lower State Playoff Game with Woodland High School, would have done well to remember the immortal words of New York Yankee legendary catcher Yogi Berra, who once said of a game “it ain’t over until it’s over.”

“We just told our kids to keep believing and don’t hold your heads down,” B-E head football Coach Kevin “Butch” Crosby said after the game, adding “we did a good job of fighting and hanging in there.”

With less than eight minutes left in the game and trailing by a score of 18-0 the Red Raiders staged a memorable comeback that will not be soon forgotten. B-E junior quarterback Sumner Cooler, who completed 12 of 20 passes on the night for 305 yards and two touchdowns got the Red Raiders first points on the board at the 7:02 point of the fourth quarter making the score 18-7 after Matt Maxwell’s first of three PATs was good.

With their vaulted wishbone rushing attack all but shut down by the Wolverines, the Red Raiders took to the air in the last few minutes of the game. “I thought we threw the ball well at the end,” Crosby said. “K.C. (Crosby), Landon (Sandifer), Garrett Zeigler and Tav (Schwarting) played a vital role in that comeback.” Crosby noted that “up front” the B-E offensive line blocked and gave Cooler the time he needed to pass.

At the 4:05 mark of the fourth quarter, Cooler was would find Garrett Zeigler in the right corner of the Wolverine end zone for a 35-yard touchdown pass, cutting the WHS lead to 18-14 after Maxwell’s second PAT of the evening pierced the up rights.

The large contingency of Wolverine fans that came up from St George and had let their presence be known much of the night, suddenly became quite as the momentum began to swing to the garnet and black clad Red Raiders.

Needing to make one last stop with time running out on the clock, the Red Raider defense, which had its hands full all night with the Wolverines spread offensive attack, did just that, making one more key final stop of WHS on fourth down and one yard to go and giving the ball back to the B-E offense.

With 44 seconds left on the clock quarterback Sumner Cooler dropped back and found tight end K.C. Crosby, (who recorded eight catches for 215 yards and one touchdown on the night) in the front left corner of the WHS end zone. Crosby went high and took the ball away from a Wolverine defender setting up a wild celebration on the B-E sidelines and in the stands.

Maxwell’s kick was true again giving the Red Raiders a 21-18 lead.

“He made a heck of a play” in making the go ahead touchdown catch, Coach Crosby said of the younger Crosby. The Wolverines tried to mount a last second scoring drive but was once again stopped by the Red Raider defense.