Raptors Return To Cookeville, Ready For Rematch With Rebels
In what many thought would be a rebuilding year for coach Will Hester, Ravenwood has clinched their second straight trip to the 6A state championship after a 20-13 win over Memphis’s Whitehaven. The Raptors used a late touchdown in the second quarter and two interceptions to propel them to the win.
Ravenwood would open the scoring with a Crews Holt field goal to put the Raptors up 3-0 midway through the first quarter. Neither team would be able to put points on the board until 6 minutes left in the first half, when Whitehaven would score a touchdown. A missed extra point would make it 6-3 in favor of the Tigers. The Tigers would add a touchdown with less than 1 minute left in the first half, making it 13-3 in favor of Whitehaven. The Raptors would respond with a Chris Rowland score to close the margin to 13-10 at the half.
On their opening drive of the second half, Ravenwood’s Crews Holt would kick another field goal to tie the game at 13-13. The Raptors would stop the Tigers and Chris Rowland would score his second touchdown of the game 20-13 in favor of Ravenwood at the end of the third quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter, Whitehaven would be intercepted by the Raptors. Ravenwood would fail to score, but would pin the run-heavy Tigers at the Ravenwood 5-yard line with 1:20 left in the game. The Raptors would intercept Whitehaven one more time to clinch the victory and state championship berth for Ravenwood.
The 13-1 Raptors will have a tall task ahead of them as they face off with Maryville for the crown for the second straight year. Last year, Ravenwood fell short 35-34 in overtime against the Rebels. Maryville is in the midst of a 44-game winning streak, dating back to the Rebels 1-point loss to Whitehaven in the 2012 state championship. Maryville beat Oakland 27-13 in the semifinals of the 6A playoffs on Friday night. The two teams will meet next Saturday night at 7 PM at Cookeville’s Tucker Stadium for the state title.
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