By ANDREW FEEBACK
The season came to an end for the Southern Wells Raiders Friday night as they fell to the visiting North Miami Warriors 20-6.
The Raiders (1-9) struggled to get anything going for much of the game, finishing with just 132 total yards.
“Coach (Joe Grant) had us scouted well,” coach Jeff Sprunger said. “It was just a tough game. They played well. He had them prepared and playing hard with the desire to move on for another week.”
He continued “Would I have liked to see us play better? Of course, but they played well, too.”
North Miami (2-8) took an 8-0 lead after Lake Musall’s 17-yard touchdown run, followed by Bryce Gosnell’s two-point conversion.
The Raiders reached the redzone on their next series, but turned it over on downs.
The Warriors put together another lengthy drive and went up 14-0 after Kody Whann scored from seven yards out.
North Miami’s offense was on the field for most of the second quarter and was knocking on the door again before a pair of penalties on the same play pushed them back near midfield.
Southern Wells recovered a fumble on the opening play of the second half, which led to the Raiders’ best possession of the night. After 10 running plays, Case Boxell reached the endzone to get the Raiders on the board midway through the third.
The Raiders recovered another fumble near the end of the quarter, but Trey Slusher’s pass to begin the fourth was intercepted.
Musall finished the scoring when he took a pitch and scored on a 40-yard run with just under seven minutes to go.
Southern Wells had two more possessions after that, but failed to pick up a first down on either.
The Raiders had only six first downs for the game. Their longest play went for just 13 yards.
It was another difficult season for the Raiders, finishing with just one win, but they ended a losing streak that spanned nearly four years when they won their season opener against Elwood and showed more competitiveness than they had in previous campaigns.
“I’m proud of this group,” Sprunger said. “This team of seniors have left a legacy that will have a lasting impact here at Southern Wells. We look forward to the future here and what’s to come. The record books and scoreboards aren’t going to show the impact this year is going to have on the future of this program. We’re only going to get better from here, and I’m excited about where this program is headed.”
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NORTH MIAMI 20, SOUTHERN WELLS 6
At Southern Wells
Score By Quarters
North Miami 8 6 0 6 – 20
Southern Wells 0 0 6 0 – 6
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
NM—Lake Musall 17 run (Bryce Gosnell run), 5:35.
Second Quarter
NM—Kody Whann 7 run (run failed), 4:10
Third Quarter
SW—Case Boxell 2 run (kick blocked), 6:20.
Fourth Quarter
NM—Musall 40 run (run failed), 6:57.
Team Statistics
NM SW
First Downs 11 6
Rushes-Yards 40-206 43-123
Yards Passing 20 9
Passing (C-A-I) 2-7-0 1-5-1
Penalties-Yards 7-60 5-45
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 2-0
Punts-Average 3-27 4-21
Time of Possession 21:57 26:03
Individual Statistics
Rushing: North Miami, Lake Musall 19-144, Braylon McIntire 3-8, Kody Whann 7-22, Hartley Hoover 5-8, Gosnell 5-7, Braxtyn Rader 1-17. Southern Wells, Case Boxell 19-56, Tucker Worster 19-65, Trey Slusher 4-(minus 3), Bradon Enochs 1-5.
Passing: North Miami, Hoover 2-6-0-20, Musall 0-1-0-0. Southern Wells, Slusher 1-5-1-9.
Receiving: North Miami, Musall 1-9, Gosnell 1-11. Southern Wells, William Johnson 1-9.
