Habersham fans flocked to Mt. Airy for the “white out” to see the Raiders play their first game on the newly renovated John Larry Black Field. The Raiders didn’t disappoint as they took a 45-13 win that was never close.
Michael Babers led Habersham with 183 yards in the ground game, scoring three times to propel the Raiders past the East Hall Vikings. The defense was spectacular, keeping East Hall off the board until late in the third quarter.
After the defense made a quick three-and-out stop on the Vikings’ opening drive, Cole Wilbanks connected with Aaron Wood for a 30-yard touchdown to give Hab Central the early 7-0 lead. The defense, led by Austin Frady and his four tackles for loss, kept the Vikings from even getting into the red zone.
Babers went to work with a 20-yard touchdown just moments after he had an even longer one called back to a holding penalty. The touchdown gave Habersham a 14-0 lead and was the first of many more touchdowns to come for the senior in 2016.
With 3:26 left in the half, Babers scored from one yard out after East Hall’s bad snap left the quarterback down inside the one, with Jake Jones recording the stop. Habersham had another chance to extend the lead with under a minute to go. Wilbanks connected with Jones on a 50-yard pass and catch to get to the seven yard line.
After a scuffle broke out moments later when Wilbanks took a cheap shot from an East Hall player on a spike to stop the clock, the Raiders elected for a chip-shot Hampton Hotard 15-yard field goal with just a few seconds to go. Habersham’s 24-0 halftime lead held up, and Babers notched an 85-yard touchdown just seconds into the second half to push the game out of reach at 31-0.
Austin Parker hit Tripp Rider for a late TD in the third to get the Vikings on the board, but Wilbanks connected with Jones less than two minutes later to answer back. Aaron Galloway added a six-yard touchdown in the fourth to give Habersham Central the 45-7 lead, and East Hall’s Parker hit Sedrion Morse for an 87-yard scored with under seven minutes left to cap the scoring.
Wilbanks threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while Jones had 78 yards and a score receiving to go with his six tackles (one for loss). Dawson Landers also added six tackles, as did Frady.
The Raiders move to 1-0 on the season and return to action September 2 at White County after a well-earned bye week next Friday.
TEAM…….1…..2….3….4….F
Raiders….7…..17…14…7….45
Vikings….0……0….7….6….13
