Reagan’s bashing of Mount Tabor is clear validation that the Raiders are this year’s undisputed kings of junior varsity football in Forsyth County.
In a game that most folks expected to be hotly-contested from start to finish, Reagan exploded early and often in last week’s season finale. The end result was in a shocking 46-18 victory over the stunned Spartans.
By the end of the first half, the final outcome had already been decided. Reagan led 43-0. So, the only question was what the final margin of victory would be. The Raiders ended the season with a 9-1 record, the best ever for jayvee football at Reagan.
“We’ve been through a lot this year,” said quarterback Jake Easter. “And we were able to show people what we can do. I’m just glad to be a part of it all.”
The Raiders, who led 16-0 at the end of the first quarter, turned the game into a blow-out with a 27-point outburst in the second quarter.
With Easter orchestrating matters, Reagan’s offense shifted into overdrive. Easter connected with Darriel Brown on a 45-yard touchdown pass, and then followed up with a 17-yard scoring run of his own. Jahni Glenn added another score on a dazzling 37-yard run on a sweep around the left side. With less than 30 seconds left in the half, Easter hooked up with Chandler Belk on a 28-yard touchdown pass.
For the game, Easter threw three touchdown passes and Glenn ran for two scores. Reagan’s final score of the game came on Isaiah Anthony’s 30-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Raiders seized control of the game by dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Not only did the offensive line (Sam Lenz, William Hardin, Troy Smith, Richard Kern and Kason Califf) give Easter ample time to throw, they were equally effective in executing their run-block schemes.
On defense, Reagan pitched the shut-out for three quarters. Mount Tabor scored all of its points in the fourth quarter. By that time, Coach Josh McGee had taken out most of his defensive starters.
The Raiders defensive front line (Tim Jordan, Joshua Lane, Brian Wallace, Leroy Scales and Garland Wallace) held Mount Tabor’s potent offense in check.
“I’m proud of everyone on our team,” said Easter. “All of us put forth a lot of effort. During the season, we learned that we should never take any team for granted. We realized that we had to keep working hard in order for us to get where we wanted to be. Now we’re ready to take the next step. There’s more work to do. We’re going to be filling some spots on next year’s varsity team.”
