By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
Friday night’s Barrel matchup started with fireworks, and East Carter never let off the gas. Behind explosive runs from senior standout Landon Yoak (20) and steady defensive play, the Raiders built a commanding first-half lead and closed out their fourth straight rivalry win over West Carter, 41–14.
East Carter wasted no time in putting points on the board. Yoak picked up six yards on the first snap, then broke loose on a 61-yard touchdown run to put the Raiders ahead 7–0.
West answered with a promising drive behind Nate Hale (24) and Kadin Thompson (1). Quarterback Hayden Hall (15) connected with Thompson for 30 yards, and the Comets worked inside the Raider 30 before coughing the ball up. East Carter pounced on the fumble, and the Raiders quickly turned it into points. Burton hit Caleb Hall (21) for 11 yards, then Yoak burst through for a 51-yard score, his second touchdown of the night, making it 14–0.
Kiser (3) set West up with good field position on the next series, but a failed fourth-down attempt gave the ball back to East. Burton appeared to hit Chase McGuffin (2) for a 50-yard touchdown, but a penalty wiped it away. The Raiders regrouped as Burton connected with Grant Menix (32), and Yoak picked up tough yards. Burton then fired a 35-yard strike to Hall to stretch the lead to 21–0.
West’s struggles continued when Thompson fumbled in Comet territory, and though East turned the ball over with an interception to Hale, West’s offense struggled to capitalize. Raider running back DZsawn Beason (23) added a 15-yard burst later in the half, while Burton kept attacking through the air. He found McGuffin for a 25-yard touchdown just before the break to give East a 28–0 halftime cushion.
The Raiders came right back after the break. An offside penalty set up short yardage, and Yoak punched in a seven-yard touchdown to make it 35–0.
West Carter finally found life midway through the third. Hale powered the Comets down the field, converting tough runs and finishing the drive with a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, leaving it 35–6.
East answered immediately. Big gains from Lane Gillum (9) and Karter Hill (5) set the Raiders up at the goal line, and Hill pushed it across to extend the lead to 41–6.
The Comets fought until the end. Hall hit Hale on a screen pass and then found Kiser for a long gain down from the Comet 45 to the East Carter 20. Thompson muscled the ball to the 2-yard line before Hall capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Peyton Walker (22). Hall flipped into the end zone for the two-point conversion to bring the Comets to 14.
But the clock ran out on West’s comeback attempt, and the Raiders held on for a 41–14 victory, their senior class’s fourth straight Barrel win over their crosstown rivals.
East Carter’s win was powered by Yoak’s explosive night on the ground, Caleb Hall’s sure hands at receiver, and Beason’s ability to give the Raiders balance with hard runs between the tackles. For West Carter, Hale battled all night with tough runs and a key interception, Hall provided grit and determination when the Comets needed it most, and Kiser gave them energy in the return game and as a receiving threat. Both sides saw standout efforts that kept the rivalry atmosphere alive under the Friday night lights. For now, the barrel stays in Grayson.
Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com
