By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
The East Carter Raiders wasted no time stamping their authority on Friday night’s matchup against the Lewis County Lions, running away with a 37-13 victory. From the opening kickoff, the Raiders came ready to play, setting the tone with big plays and relentless defense.
Lewis County kicked off, and East Carter’s Gavin Elliott (10) took the ball at the 49-yard line, quickly putting the Raiders on offense. After a false start stalled the drive momentarily, quarterback Thomas Burton (1) unleashed a long pass to Caleb Hall (21), who hauled it in for a quick touchdown, waking up the crowd and putting East Carter up 7-0 early.
The Raiders’ defense then took over, with linebacker Hunter Stickler (40) forcing a safety to extend the lead to 9-0. That set the stage for a strong offensive push, as Burton found Chase McGuffin (2) near the Lewis County 16-yard line. From there, East Carter’s powerful Layne Gillium (9) bulldozed his way into the end zone, making it 16-0.
Lewis County struggled to find rhythm on offense, thanks in part to a bad snap that pushed them back near their own goal line. They were forced to punt, giving the Raiders excellent field position at their own 38. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Dzsawn Beason (23) ripped off a 14-yard run to get things moving. Shortly after, Gillium punched in another touchdown, putting East Carter firmly in control at 23-0.
After a touchback on the kickoff, Lewis County punted again, this time on their own 46-yard line. Burton then connected on a short pass to McGuffin, who did the rest, sprinting into the end zone for a touchdown. With Reese Bush’s (7) extra point adding the icing, the Raiders led 30-0. On defense, Gillium continued to wreak havoc, delivering a big tackle for loss that helped stall the Lions’ offense.
Lewis County finally got something going late in the first half, intercepting a pass and returning it to East Carter’s 42-yard line. But the Raiders’ defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs and regaining possession. The offense responded with a long run by Gillium and a clutch pass from Lawson Wilder (11) to Kale Kunder (18), moving deep into Lewis territory. Then, Gillium powered his way to the 1-yard line before crossing the goal line again, extending the lead to 37-0.
The Lions weren’t ready to quit just yet, answering with a long 37-yard touchdown reception just before halftime to make it 37-7 going into the break.
Lewis County came out with some renewed energy in the second half, driving inside East Carter’s 25-yard line before a crucial turnover on downs stopped their progress. The Raiders’ offense moved steadily with solid runs from Elliott and Bryson Matney (8), but the Lions’ defense made a key sack on East Carter’s quarterback Wilder as the third quarter came to a close.
In the final quarter, Lewis County managed to chip away at the lead with a touchdown run making it 37-13. However, East Carter’s commanding lead proved too much, and the Raiders held on for the decisive victory.
The Raiders offense showed confidence and power throughout, while the defense was relentless in shutting down the Lions’ attempts to mount a comeback. East Carter improves with this win, sending a message to the rest of the region that they’re a force to be reckoned with. They move on to next week where they will face the Russell Red Devils in what is assured to be an intense matchup.
(Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com)
