CAM trotts Riders 21-19 — heading to semifinals
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ARCOLA — Senior wide out Cody Sloan fights his way down the field for the huge gain. He ended his day with one catch for 26 yards and the 21-19 CAM victory.
Lucas Domonousky/Breeze-Courier Photo
Lucas Domonousky
Breeze-Courier Sports Writer
The Raiders took the hour jump to Arcola where bone chilling cold and the Purple Riders met them head on. The Saturday matchup proved that both teams were not ready to let their impressive 2021 season come to a close. It was Central A&M that came away with the 21-19 win over the Riders in the IHSA football Quarterfinals.
The offense was anything but inconsistent. Scoring a touchdown in the first three quarters to slowly tighten their grip on Arcola. The Raiders had 140 combined rushing yards with Brody Barnes punching one in for a score. Sophomore quarterback Drew Damery used his legs notching 26 yards and also threw 15 times for 11 completions. He finished the playoff game with two touchdowns and just one interception.
“We always talk about the games that special teams can be the difference… This was one of those games.” Head coach Brent Weakly said after the game. Junior linebacker Will Thompson lead the Raiders with 7 takles and 5 assists. Finishing the game with 5 takes of his own was Senior defensive back James Paradee. Two of his five were tackles for a loss. Joining in on the show were seniors Dalton Nichols and Jarrett Robertson. Carter Thomas made a momentum shifting interception early in the fourth quarter to give the Raiders some breathing room but the game sat at 21-19 until the Purple Riders fumbled the ball to the Raiders turning the ball over with just over two minutes to spare. Central A&M kneeled out the rest of the time to complete the 21-19 win over Arcola.
“We were able to come away with what we wanted and I’m really proud of our kids.” Weakly stated proudly after the victory.
Following Saturday’s victory, the Central A&M Raiders will come home to Moweaqua and host the Carrollton Hawks for the 2021 IHSA Semifinals.
