Colonels stumble at Oak Hill, fall 14-7

By Watson Cook

Five turnovers are never good. Throw in an inspired Oak Hill football team playing in front of a raucous homecoming crowd and an upset was in the making. The Raiders (5-3) knocked off the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Colonels 14-7 in the lowest-scoring game of the season for either team.

The Colonels turned the ball over in their own territory on their first three possessions. Defensively, IA answered the call early, forcing a three-and-out on Oak Hill's first drive that started at the IA 35, and recovering a fumble on the second Raider possession. However the third consecutive IA turnover led to points. The Raiders took over once again at the IA 35 and took the lead four plays later on Drew Riley's 5-yard touchdown with 10:51 to play in the second quarter. Paxton Trull's PAT gave Oak Hill a 7-0 advantage.

Turning to their workhorse Ashton Knight, the Colonels answered on their next series. Knight (pictured below, #2) capped an 8-play, 72-yard drive with a touchdown run from 11 yards out. Tyler Hill's PAT knotted the game at 7-7 with 7:27 to play in the half.

The Colonels appeared to have taken the lead with only a few seconds remaining in the half as Jonathan Holland found Ben Van Cleve in the back corner of the endzone from 7 yards out. However, the initial call of touchdown was reversed, one of many, many officiating snafu's on the night that left both teams loathing at times, and the game remained tied at halftime.

After the defense forced an Oak Hill punt to open the third quarter, the Colonels put together perhaps their best drive of the night, yet could not come away with points. Ten plays into the series that started on their own 6 the Colonels were looking at 1st and goal from the Raider 9. Unfortunately, that is where the drive stalled and Will Lang's 25-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.

Oak Hill took the lead for good with 4:58 to play in the game on Riley's 7-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by the Raiders' second interception of Jonathan Holland. The pick was returned to the endzone but called back for holding. The penalty gave Oak Hill the ball at the IA 18 and four plays later Riley hit pay-dirt. Trull's PAT made it 14-7.

Holland was picked off for the third time on the following Colonel drive, all but sealing the win for the Raiders. IA did have one final possession, starting from their own 24 with 1:03 to play but turned the ball over on downs at the 29.

The loss dropped the Colonels, who remain unbeaten in district play at 3-0, to 7-1 overall. IA finishes the regular season with district games at Kirk (10/18) and vs North Delta (10/25). Kickoff from Grenada this Friday night is set for 7:00.