By Pat Culverhouse
Former Minden High graduates left W.W. Williams disappointed Friday as the Huntington Raiders spoiled Homecoming festivities, taking a 32-16 win over the Crimson Tide in a District 1-4A matchup.
Huntington used its size advantage to roll up 335 yards in total offense while the Tide managed 241 total yards on the night.
Raiders’ tight end Treyvon Washington got his team off to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, hauling in an eight-yard scoring pass from wide receiver Marcus Willis on a pitch play.
That lead evaporated in the second quarter when Tide quarterback Jacobe Jackson swept in from 21-yards out to cap a brief four play, 48 yard drive. A successful two-point conversion knotted the score with 6:03 left in the second quarter.
Huntington jumped back on top 16-8 with just over three minutes left in the first half on the strength of an eight-yard scoring burst by Michael Casey, a 6-2, 235-pound tight end/ running back.
A Willis return of the second half kickoff to the Tide 34 led to another Raiders score with just over a minute gone from intermission. Myles Hullaby, a 225-pound running back, bulled in from nine yards and Huntington was up 24-8.
Minden answered with a six-play, 61-yard scoring drive built around a 20-yard Jackson burst to the Raiders’ 12-yard line. Three plays later, Jackson called his own number and moved five yards to paydirt.
With the score 24-16, the Tide caught a huge break, recovering a muffed kickoff at the Huntington 30. Things didn’t work out when a fourth down run was stopped just short at the Raiders’ 22-yard line.
Another pair of Tide possessions was stymied by interceptions, and the Raiders put the game away with just under eight minutes left in the game when quarterback Landon Gibs found Kaleb Tucker on a 28-yard scoring toss for the game’s final score.
Jackson led all rushers with 124 yards on a workman 27 carries and Cameron Mitchell added 60 yards on 5 attempts. Mitchell also hauled in seven passes for 37 yards.
Friday’s loss drops the Tide to 0-5 for the season, 0-2 in district play heading into next week’s league contest with the Bossier Bearkats in Bossier City.
