Undermanned Jackets fall

The Roanoke Rapids football game Friday night versus Southern Vance felt like "Senior Skip Day". Out with injuries for Roanoke Rapids were starting seniors Jacob Spraggins (DE, TE), Jimmy Clements (LB) and Michael Shearin (LB,FB). Junior Josh Lee, the two-way junior lineman was also sidelined with a pinched nerve in his neck and sophomore Chris Lyons suited up with a broken foot.

In fact only 24 players dressed for the Yellow Jackets (2-6, 0-2) in their 40-21 Northern Carolina Conference loss to the Raiders of Southern Vance (1-5,1-1). Southern Vance listed 19 seniors and 22 juniors on their 45 man roster. Roanoke Rapids was out-numbered by more than 2 to 1.

Along the side-lines before the game, however, parents and Roanoke Rapids coaches made no excuses for the 2008 season. Injuries and key players having to play both ways thoughout the season have hurt them. This Yellow Jackets team has not given up, though. It was a hard hitting game with big plays and long drives on a cold and drizzly night.

The first big play for the Raiders came on the Yellow Jackets initial drive following the opening kick-off. P.J. Crews intercepted a third and nine pass from Justin Rawls and brought it back to the Roanoke Rapids 47 yard line.

The Raiders overcame a fourth and fifteen from the nineteen yard line on a Jame Harris completion to Darriuan Ragland inside the 5. Two plays later Harris scored on a quarterback draw from the shotgun formation with 5:37 left in the first quarter. Jarred Gerren kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Southern Vance lead.

Justin Rawls and the Yellow Jackets answered with a 72 yard drive of their own. Rawls and Freshman A.J. Alston picked up key first downs with Rawls scoring on a 7-yard run around the right side. Taylor Merritt kicked for the extra point and the first period ended all tie up 7-7.

The second quarter belonged to the Raiders after a 48 yard kickoff return by P.J. Crews. Yellow Jacket's junior defensive back David Richardson saved a touchdown on the play with an open field tackle on the Roanoke Rapids 32-yard line. The Raiders scored four plays later, however, on a Nunu Richardson 1-yard plunge. Garren again kicked for the PAT and a 14-7 lead.

Roanoke Rapids dodged a bullet on their next possession, turning the ball over on a fumble on their own 23-yard line. Kareem Martin stepped up defensively for the Jackets, sacking Harris for a 7 yard loss. Roanoke Rapids got the ball back on downs.

But the Jackets fumbled again on their own 27 following a Southern Vance punt. Henderson scored again from the 5-yard line. Garren missed the point after and the Raiders went into halftime with a 20-7 lead.

The third quarter saw both teams go three and out with Roanoke Rapids getting a field position advantage on a 43 yard punt by Taylor Merritt, pinning the Raiders on their own 7 yard line. But the Raiders opened up their passing game.  Harris hit wide receiver Sam Falkner on two passes for 49 yards. Harris then threw a 27-yard strike to Mark Boyd for a touchdown, ending a 93 yard drive. Garren kicked the extra point for a 27-7 lead with 3:14 left in the third.

In the fourth quarter D.J. Epperson of Roanoke Rapids intercepted a Harris pass and ran 55-yards for a touchdown. Merritt added the extra point and the lead was cut to 27-14 Southern Vance with 8:41 left in the game.

Southern Vance added two more scores. One was a 20 yard Harris to Falkner pass. The other was an 70 yard touchdown run by Daquan Richardson. Garren made one of the two extra points and the game was out of reach for the Roanoke Rapids squad.

Epperson returned a Southern Vance kickoff 82 yards on a touchdown run that was called back for holding and Jesse Lee finished the scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run for the Yellow Jackets. Merritt added the extra point but Southern Vance went into the locker room with a 40-21 win. 

This week the Yellow Jackets travel to Warrenton for a showdown with Warren County.