reprinted from The Mainstreet News online November 5, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

A win Friday may not guarantee a playoff berth, but Madison County can find motivation in plenty of other places.

Losers of their last three games, the Red Raiders (5-4) face Clarke Central (7-2) Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Billy Henderson Stadium with a chance to stop that losing skid, capture the program’s first winning season in three years and beat one of their main rivals.

Those non-playoff incentives should have Madison County ready to play, Raider head coach Randell Owens said.

“I hope so,” he said. “I think they would be ... We’re hurting, but we’ve got to grow up and rise up and get over it and move and take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of us — a winning season.”

All hope is not lost on postseason front, either, but the Red Raiders need major help this Friday.

The “easiest” scenario is for Salem (6-3) to lose to region champion Apalachee (9-0) and Winder-Barrow (2-7) upset Loganville (5-4), which would propel Madison County to the no. 4 seed with a victory.

There’s another possibility that Madison County, Salem and Rockdale County (which would have to lose to 0-9 Monroe Area) could finish in a three-way tie for third with 6-4 records. With only two playoff spots available, the three teams would have to play GHSA-mandated mini games next Monday to determine those playoff spots.

“The top two teams out of that (mini-game) deal would go to the playoffs for the third and fourth spots and the loser of that deal would be out,” Owens said.

But first things first: The Red Raiders must beat a very good Clarke Central team for either of these scenarios to work out.
Clarke Central, in its fourth season under coach Leroy Ryals, is coming off a 55-12 victory over Winder-Barrow and can finish with an 8-2 record with a victory Friday. The Gladiators are trying to secure a no. 2 seed in the region.

The Red Raiders enter this game following a 31-14 loss to Apalachee last week. Madison County led 7-0 early after a 51-yard pass on a fake punt from Stan Maxwell to Presly McKeever, but the highlights were otherwise limited in the Red Raiders’ third straight loss.

Madison County’s recent losing skid has dropped it from second in Region 8-AAAA — and region title contention — to fifth.
The disappointment surrounding possibly not making the playoffs underscores the difference between the program now and six years ago when the main concern was whether or not it could survive region play, Owens said.

“Six years ago nobody is thinking about the playoffs,” Owens said. “We’re just thinking, hey, beat somebody… And that’s really where you want to be. You want to be where your kids have an expectation to win.”

But there’s much to be said for a 6-4 finish, he added.

“We could end up and get a break (and get to the playoffs), but, you know, a winning season would be huge,” Owens said.

reprint from The Madison County Journal Mainstreet News October 29, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

Apalachee didn’t earn a no. 7 ranking in Class AAAA based on flair and finesse.

Madison County (5-3) faces an 8-0 Wildcat football team Friday night that likes to pound the football down opponents’ gullets.

“They’re loaded,” Red Raider coach Randell Owens said. “They’ve got some great running backs.”

Apalachee, which gashed Madison County for 467 yards on the ground last year, boasts a potent trio of backs — Jon Lee, Reggie Battle and John Ansley — that’s helped it clinch the school’s first region title with two games to spare.

While Loganville’s Storm Johnson might be the most sought-after running back in the region by colleges, Apalachee’s stable of ball carriers might be more complete high school football players, Owens said.

“I’ll take them any day,” he said. “It doesn’t matter which one has the ball. They can all take it to the house.”

Compounding the problem is that Apalachee operates out of the Wing-T, a scheme that thrives on concealment of the actual ball carrier through fakes and misdirection.

“Inside, outside, misdirection or pass, there’s about four things that go off each series,” Owens said.

So what will it take to contain the Wildcats’ backs and Wing-T attack?

“Try to control the line of scrimmage and stop the explosion play,” Owens said.

Similarly, Apalachee coach Shane Davis is wary of Madison County’s offensive scheme, noting that the Red Raiders will do everything from using two tight end sets to spreading it out and throwing the ball around the field. In fact, Madison County passed for 442 yards against the Wildcats in 2008.

“It is not going to be easy this week,” Davis said. “Madison County will be as athletic offensively as anyone we’ve seen. They are able to do so many things.”

Apalachee is coming off a pair of one-point victories, edging Loganville, 42-41, Oct. 17 and Heritage, 24-23, last week. While Apalachee has already locked up the region title and no. 1 seed out of Region 8-AAAA for the state playoffs, this game has huge postseason implications for the Red Raiders, who had last week off.

There’s a chance Madison County could finish as high as second place in the region with victories over Apalachee Friday and Clarke Central next week.

There’s also a chance that the Red Raiders could sneak into the postseason if they split the last two games, but those odds aren’t good.

Basically, Madison County considers both games must-wins.

“We’ve got to win both games to go to the state playoffs,” Owens said.

Meanwhile, the region could be looking at a frantic finish over these last two weeks.

Only one team, Apalachee, has its postseason destination locked up, while five others are mathematically capable of earning a playoff spot.

“Three of those five are going to the playoffs,” Owens said. “When the dust settles, we want to be one of them.”

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald online edition October 30, 2009

By Brian Chmielewski

Apalachee continued its march to an undefeated season at Madison County on Friday night and likely ended Madison County 's playoff hopes in the process, knocking off the Red Raiders 31-14.

Madison County could not handle the pressure of the must-win game or the Wildcats' defense in the loss.

"We were sloppy and just did not execute," Madison County coach Randell Owens said. "Against a team like that, you cannot make mistakes. You never know how the kids are going to respond under pressure until they get there, and we played tight."

The Wildcats' defense pressured Madison County quarterback Jacob Owens all night, recording six sacks and a safety.

Owens was hit on nearly every play en route to a 9-for-24 performance with an interception and a touchdown.

The Red Raiders' offensive line failed all night to buy time for Owens and to open up any holes for the running game. Madison County ran for minus-2 yards in the game on 20 carries.

"Their offense is a tough matchup for us," Randell Owens said. "We knew we had to get them in a shootout to have a chance. We had some stuff we wanted to do, but they just did a great job of never letting us get settled."

On the other side of the ball, Madison County failed to slow down the Wildcats' rushing attack, led by Jon Lee.

The Wildcats rushed for 246 yards on 53 carries, and Lee rushed for a team-high 155 yards and two scores – including a 35-yarder that put Apalachee up for good 17-7.

Madison County jumped out to a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game. Jamal Cooper opened the game with a 43-yard kick return, setting the Red Raiders' offense up in Apalachee territory.

But after failing to advance the ball, the offense faced a fourth-and-long situation. In punt formation, Stan Maxwell took the snap and rolled to his right throwing up the sideline and hitting Presley McKeever for a 53-yard touchdown on the faked punt.

Madison County followed that score by stopping the Wildcats' offense on fourth-and-inches at the Red Raiders' 16-yard line. Three plays later – after a bad snap put the ball on Madison County 's own 1-yard line – a group of Apalachee tacklers led by Nelson Gibson tackled Owens in the end zone for a safety.

It was downhill from there for the Red Raiders.

Apalachee scored on their next four possessions to blow the game open, eventually leading 31-7 before the Red Raiders would score again late in the third quarter. Owens hit Kendrick Butler for a 37-yard touchdown to make it 31-14.

"Our kids knew we had to have the game, and we pressed," coach Randell Owens said. "But we can still have a winning season if we beat Clarke Central next week. Even without the playoffs, a winning season would be a pretty good accomplishment."

reprinted from The Madison County Journal October 25, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

Raider coach Randell Owens may have experienced more painful losses, but perhaps not one handed down in a more sobering fashion.

Heritage broke a 57-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left last week to win 21-20 over Madison County (5-3). The Raiders had just scored 13 seconds earlier to take the lead.

“I don’t know that I’ve had one that was more shocking,” Owens said.

Madison County gets two weeks to think about it and heal. The Raiders have an off week this Friday and return to the field Oct. 30 against no. 7 Apalachee (7-0).

Owens gave his coaches Sunday off and his players Monday off. He’ll also allow coaches extra time to catch up things this week as the program tries to recharge.

Owens and company will then scout Apalachee’s game with Heritage Friday night.

The challenge for Madison County now is to focus on winning its final two games and not reliving what could have been in the down-to-the wire loss to Heritage, Owens said.

“It hurt, but it’s going be (a matter of) maturity and senior leadership and whether our kids can move on,” he said.

Because two wins and a 7-3 record would very likely earn Madison County for a state playoff spot.

Of course, that’s a tall order.

Those two wins would have to come over the region’s top two teams in the standings, Apalachee and Clarke Central. Still, everything is out there for the taking.

“If we win the next two games, we can go to the state playoffs,” Owen said. “That’s the way we’re approaching it.”

There’s a slight chance that a 6-4 record could get Madison County to the postseason, but that would likely bring a complicated scenario of tiebreakers into play. Owens would just as soon avoid all that and win the last two, starting next Friday.

This year’s Raiders still have everything to play for, he said.

“Our goals are still within reach,” Owens said. “It’s still out there. How hard can we work? Can we block out the naysayers who are already digging our grave and building our casket?

reprinted from The Madison County Journal October 17, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

reprinted from The Madison County Journal October 15, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

But Madison County’s playoff hopes are still alive and well, though a five-game winning streak is now over.

The Raiders’ two preseason goals are to have a winning record and qualify for the state playoffs, and both objectives are still attainable.

But Madison County (5-2) needs a win Friday at Heritage to get back on track.

“Last week, we were dealing with a group that was sky-high over a big win … This week, we’re hurting, but we’ve got to quit licking wounds,” coach Randell Owens said.

Madison County seeks its ever first victory over Heritage.

The schools have met only three times. The Patriots won 7-0 last year.

Heritage (1-5) has been victimized by some close losses this year, dropping four games by a touchdown or less. But the Patriots did beat Rockdale County (14-10), which handled Madison County 28-6 in the Raiders’ season-opener.

Owens, who coached at Heritage from 2001-2003, says to not pay too much attention to Heritage’s 1-5 record.

“They’re very athletic,” Owens said. “Our kids are going to have to not look at the record but look at what you’re seeing on the film and the athletes that you have to lineup and compete against.”

Heritage also benefits from having had an off week this past Friday. The Patriots haven’t played since a 35-24 loss to Loganville Oct. 2.

“They’ve got two weeks to get ready to focus on us … We’ve got three days,” Owens said.

Madison County is still tied with Clarke Central for second place in the region, while Apalachee is first. So the Raiders are still in position to have a winning season and claim a playoff spot, but they need a victory Friday to keep pace.

“It’s still out in front of us,” Owens said. “With three games to go, we’ve still got an opportunity for a winning season and an opportunity to get to the state playoffs. (But) we don’t have a lot of cushion. We don’t have a lot of slack.”

Meanwhile, Madison County preps for one of its longest road trips of the year. The bus ride to Conyers is approximately an hour and 45 minutes.

Playing an away game in high school football is never easy, Owens said, because of “the hassle of traveling.”

“At the high school level, it’s more like being a daddy tying to get everything packed in a mini-van to go to the beach for a week,” he said. “You hope you don’t forget something. It’s challenging.”

 reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald October 10, 2009 edition

By Jeff Cochran
jeff.cochran@onlineathens.com

DANIELSVILLE -- Despite being run over for most of the first half, Madison County still had reason to be hopeful against defending Region 8-AAAA champ Loganville on Friday night.

That hope quickly vanished after a disastrous start to the second half from which the Red Raiders could not recover, falling to the Red Devils 37-22 at Red Raiders Stadium. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak that had Madison County crawling up the region standings.

"All that talk about winning streaks and stuff like that," Madison County coach Randell Owens said, "that is for sports writers and for people to talk about a coffee shops. We are just worried about the next game."

Down 14-7 at halftime, Madison County 's Donavon Carey came up with an interception on Loganville's second play of the second half. Two plays later, Red Raiders quarterback Jacob Owens pitched the ball past Kendrick Butler near midfield and Loganville recovered the fumble on Madison County 's 45-yard line.

On the next play, Loganville running back Storm Johnson broke three tackles and sprinted past the Madison County secondary for a 45-yard touchdown run.

Madison County's Presley McKeever fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Loganville again recovered deep in Red Raiders' territory. The Red Devils (4-2, 4-2 in Region 8-AAAA) struck again a play later with a 33-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Schmidt to Clay Garner.

"I don't even know what happened," senior running back Stan Maxwell said. "They are a really tough team. They just came out and played us really hard."

After the game, Randell Owens rushed back to the fieldhouse to tend to his hurt team. When asked about the start of the second half -- which also featured a series of personal fouls and one ejected Loganville coach -- he didn't want to think about it.

"All I have to say about that is that Loganville is a really good team," the coach said. "They showed up ready to play. I'm just proud of our kids. They didn't quit. They kept battling."

The Red Raiders (5-2, 5-2) kept the game from being a blowout with the help of an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jamal Cooper, his second of the season, in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, a fumble recovery by Carey set the Red Raiders up for their third touchdown of the game and a 2-point conversion.

But the damage done by Johnson and company was too much to battle back from.

Madison County's coach knew containing Johnson was going to be a priority. Once the running back warmed up and his offensive line started creating holes, Madison County saw the trouble it was in.

Johnson scored on runs of 3 and 8 yards in the second quarter to give the Red Devils a 14-7 halftime lead. He ran for 94 yards on 16 carries in the first half alone. Only once did not gain at least 2 yards on a carry and he didn't run for a loss in the first half.

He finished the game with 175 yards on 25 carries, gaining more yards than the entire Madison County offense.

"It was his offensive line," Randell Owens said. "They have some great offensive linemen."

Loganville's first scoring drive went 90 yards in 10 plays and featured seven carries by Johnson, including a 3-yard touchdown run around the right end to cap off the drive.

An early Loganville turnover gave Madison County a short field for its first touchdown drive of the game. On the Red Devils' first offensive play, quarterback A.J. Schmidt was picked off by Madison County 's Matthew Dean at the Loganville 28-yard line.

Kendrick Butler reversed field on his first carry of the game and went 13 yards, setting up quarterback Jacob Owens' 1-yard dive for a touchdown three plays later.

Randell Owens made aggressive play calls in the first half, some of which worked but none of which resulted in more points for the Red Raiders.

Twice Owens opted to go for a fourth-down conversion in the first half, neither of which worked. On the second attempt, from the Loganville 46-yard line, Jacob Owens' pitch to Butler was dropped and recovered by Loganville at the Madison county 47-yard line.

"We just felt like we had to do some things to get on the board early and keep our defense off the field," Randell Owens said.

On Madison County's first offensive play from scrimmage, the coach dialed up a reverse pass that resulted in a 47-yard completion from Maxwell to Bracken Turner.

The Red Raiders would get inside the Loganville 20-yard line but would fail to convert on a fourth-and-2

reprinted from The Madison County Journal online edition October 10, 2009

by Ben Munro

A close Region 8-AAAA game got out of hand seemingly in a matter of seconds Friday night.

Leading just 14-7, Loganville outscored Madison County 20-7 in the third quarter -- turning two crucial turnovers into immediate points -- in a 37-22 win over the Raiders in Danielsville.

The loss ended Madison County’s five-game winning streak. Madison County moves on to face Heritage next Friday in Conyers.

Trailing by only a touchdown, Madison County fumbled the ball away on its first possession of the second half with just over 10:00 remaining in the third quarter. Loganville’s Storm Johnson answered by breaking off a 46-yard touchdown run on the next play. Madison County then fumbled away the subsequent kickoff and Loganville's A.J. Schmidt threw a 33-yard touchdown pass one play later to give the Red Devils a 27-7 lead with 9:50 left in the third quarter.

Loganville tacked on another touchdown in the period to take a 34-7 lead.

Madison County ran just five plays in the third quarter, but did get a momentary boost when Jamal Cooper returned a kickoff 85 yards to cut the lead to 34-14. It was Cooper’s third return for a touchdown this season.

Loganville added a field goal in the fourth quarter, while Raider quarterback Jacob Owens scored from 12 yards out – his second touchdown of the night -- with 3:08 left in the game.

Loganville controlled the line of scrimmage, running for 366 yards. Johnson, a major college prospect who de-committed from LSU, finished with 179 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Mykel Wyyett added 122 more on the ground and one touchdown.

Loganville limited the Raiders to just 92 yards rushing and 166 total yards.

Madison County looked in position early to win its sixth-straight game, leading 7-0 in the first quarter after a one-yard touchdown run from Owens. That score was set up by a Matt Dean interception at the Loganville 28.

But Johnson warmed up in the second quarter, scoring two touchdowns in the period to give Loganville a 14-7 lead.

The loss moves the Raiders back into a tie for second place in 8-AAAA with Clarke Central. Both teams have 5-2 records. Loganville is half a game back at 4-2.

SCORE-BY-QUARTER

Loganville 0 14 20 3 -- 37
Madison Co. 7 0 7 8 -- 22

STATISTICS

Rushing -- Maxwell 8-30, Owens 12-30-2 TD, Cooper 5-4, Butler 4-8, Dean 1-2
Passing -- Maxwell 1-1, 50 yds; Owens 6-12, 45 yds
Receiving -- Turner 2-57, Cooper 2-20, McCrary 1-9, Maxwell 2-6

REGION SCORES

Apalachee 21, Habersham Central 13
Loganville 37, Madison Co. 22
Clarke Central 23, Salem 20
Rockdale Co. 14, Cedar Shoals 0
Winder-Barrow 48, Monroe Area 41

REGION STANDINGS

Apalachee 6-0
Madison Co. 5-2
Clarke Central 5-2
Loganville 4-2
Rockdale Co. 3-3
Salem 3-3
Cedar Shoals 3-4
Hab. Central 3-4
Winder-Barrow 2-4
Heritage 1-5
Monroe Area 0-6

reprinted from The Madison County Journal October 8, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

So how does the Madison County defense top this?

The Red Raiders limited Habersham Central to a paltry 75 yards of total offense last Friday, recorded five sacks and forced three turnovers in a 35-6 drumming of the “other” Raiders from Mt. Airy.

This Friday, Madison County faces defending region champion Loganville.

“We’ve just got to come out and do it again … We’ve all got confidence in each other to do what we’re supposed to do,” Madison County linebacker Donavan Carey said after the victory.

This unit has reason to be confident.

The Madison County defenders have surrendered just 22 points in their last two games as the team has claimed sole possession of second place in 8-AAAA.

This week’s task: Stop one of the state’s top running backs, Storm Johnson, a highly-touted Division I-A prospect, who highlights Loganville.

But this is a defense that, over the past few weeks, has accepted whatever challenge has come its way.
Against Cedar Shoals three weeks ago, the defensive unit came up with two key stops late in a 29-28 victory.

Two weeks ago against Salem, the Raider defense produced a memorable goal line stand, stopping the Seminoles on six plays inside the five-yard line. That defensive series helped lift Madison County to a 21-16 victory.

Then against Habersham, the Madison County defense was all over the field, forcing three take-aways and limiting Habersham Central to just five first downs on the evening. Jeremiah NeSmith led the defensive effort with nine tackles, including two sacks. He already has eight sacks on the season.

Coach Randell Owens credited his defensive staff’s preparation and his players’ week of practice for the Habersham game success.

“We had the best week of practice since I’ve been here,” Owens said.

And the Raider defense is playing the best it has all season. Madison County’s defense has demonstrated a marked improvement since the beginning of the year. The Raiders surrendered 28 points in their season-opening loss to Rockdale County and 29 the following week in a close win over Winder-Barrow. But Madison County allowed just one touchdown last week to a Habersham Central team that scored 42 points in its previous outing.

The resurgence is partly a product of simply being healthier.

The Raiders were ravaged by sickness and injuries at the start of the season, but Owens said his team was the healthiest it’s been all year during preparation for Habersham Central.

As for this week, most everyone on the sick and injured list — as of Monday — is now available, save for two players, who fall into the “probable” category.

“So we’re probably the best shape we’ve been in all year at this point,” Owens said.

The offense has helped, too, by keeping the defense off the field.

Owens noted a 14-play drive during the first quarter against Habersham Central. Though Madison County scored no points, it did keep the defense on the sidelines for quite a long stretch. And for those who play both ways, a long offensive drive is much less draining than a long defensive stand, Owens said.

“Our offensive plan meshed well,” he said.

Madison County hopes the same factors come into play Friday when the Raiders face Loganville.

Madison County, which held Habersham Central to just 23 rushing yards, must stop Johnson, who is a four-star recruit who recently decommitted from LSU. Owens said Loganville is talented athletically.

“They’ve had some situations where they’ve turned the ball over in crucial situations that have cost them,” Owens said. “But they’re scoring a lot of points against everybody.”

Madison County’s defense hopes to reverse that trend.

Because if it can, the Raiders have a shot to earn their sixth win of the year.

That would clinch a winning season and secure one part of Madison County’s two-part goal this season.
“Have a winning season and get to the state playoffs, and then anything can happen,” Owens said. “And that’s the mantra.”

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald October 8, 2009 edition

By Roger Clarkson
roger.clarkson@onlineathens.com
DANIELSVILLE - After dropping its first game of the season, Madison County faced a crossroads. It could either continue an unsightly trend that started a year ago or change directions.
The switch provided instant results as the Red Raiders (5-1, 5-1) have won five straight and are in second place in Region 8-AAAA.
"Absolutely, I'm happy with the way things are going now," Madison County quarterback Jacob Owens said.
Owens has been slowed this week by illness, but should be ready for tonight's game against Loganville.
"After the first game, everybody was like, 'Look, this is our senior year. Do we want to do like last year and lay down and quit and let people beat us, or do we want to do something about it' " Owens said. "So we decided to do something about it. We've been working hard and decided that people weren't going to beat us around like they did last year."
Madison County hopes to win its sixth consecutive game when it hosts the Red Devils (3-2, 3-2) at 7:30 p.m. today at Red Raider Stadium.
Madison County ended 2008 by losing seven straight games. The Red Raiders could have continued down that path after they lost to Rockdale County 28-6 in the season opener, but Madison County regrouped.
"Us seniors really took it upon ourselves to set things right after the first game," Madison County running back Kendrick Butler said. "A lot of last year's seniors really didn't care, at all. We don't want to be pushed around like we were last year."
The biggest change in Madison County 's offensive outlook is its emphasis on running. The Red Raiders have shifted their focus from throwing the ball out of the spread to running the option. The Red Raiders are averaging 28.5 points a game with the new look.
"The way we do it really suits our kids, especially our linemen," Madison County coach Randell Owens said. "Our linemen are really built for firing out and trying to knock the other guy backward. I think it suits our backs and quarterback, too."
Butler leads the team in rushing with 359 yards. He also has six touchdowns and averages 10 yards per carry. Jamal Cooper moved from wide receiver to running back and has 200 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Owens, Randell Owens' son, has 90 rushing yards and a team-high seven touchdowns.
Fullback Stan Maxwell has 216 yards and two scores. Maxwell is a cousin of former Red Raider receiver Aldreakis Allen and is in his first year of playing organized football.
"Kendrick is really shifty, and he can make a lot of people miss," Jacob Owens said. "Jamal is one of the fastest guys in the state, so when he gets into the open, you're not going to catch him. Stan has really come on for not playing before. He's become more comfortable and really become a big part of the offense."
Butler has become Madison County 's home run hitter. He has also caught four passes for 120 yards. He averages 12.0 yards per touch. Last week against Habersham Central, Butler ran for 94 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns in the Red Raiders 35-6 win.
"I'm just running where the holes are, so my line is doing a great job," Butler said. "None of us can go anywhere without the line. They're really good at making holes to make us running backs look good."

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald  October 2, 2009 edition

reprinted from The Madison County Journal online edition, October 2, 2009

by Ben Munro

MT. AIRY -- The Red Raiders put five touchdowns on the scoreboard Friday night. They wouldn’t need near that many.

Facing a Habersham Central offense that had scored a combined 73 points in its last two games, the Madison County defense rose to the challenge — and then some — picking off three passes and surrendering just 75 total yards in leading the Red Raiders (5-1) to a 35-6 win.

“We had a pretty good week of practice and came out and did our thing,” said MCHS linebacker Donavan Carey, who intercepted one of those passes. “It was a pretty good defensive game all-round — the defensive line, linebackers and secondary.”

It was the Red Raiders’ fifth win in a row and first in Mt. Airy since 1982. That ‘82 team ended up going to the postseason, and if this Madison County team continues to play defense like it did Friday, it could be making playoff arrangements, too.

Madison County, which led 14-0 at the half, limited Habersham Central (3-3) to just 33 yards of offense and one first down in the first half. The Mt. Airy Raiders didn’t move the chains until a first down pass with 27 seconds left before halftime.

“The kids did a heck of a job ... I’m very proud of them,” MCHS defensive coordinator Mike Haynes said.

The Red Raider defense also hemmed up Habersham Central standout running back David Griffin.

Griffin romped for 282 yards and five touchdowns last week against Loganville, but Madison County held him in check all evening. Habersham Central managed just 23 yards on the ground.

“We worked all week on wrapping-up and getting everyone to the ball,” Carey explained.

It was a defensive play that got the Red Raiders going in their first win over Habersham Central since 2005.

Matt Dean’s second quarter interception and return to the Habersham Central nine set up Madison County’s first score, a one-yard touchdown run from Jacob Owens that put MCHS up 7-0. The Red Raiders built a comfortable 21-0 lead by the third quarter, before Habersham Central scored its only points of the night with a touchdown with 5:54 left in that period, leaving the shutout as about the only thing the Red Raider defense didn’t accomplish Friday. The six points allowed were the least Madison County has surrendered since a 34-0 win over Monroe Area last year.

When asked how Friday’s Red Raider defensive performance rated during his time as a player, Carey said it ranked right up there.

“Top three — definitely,” said Carey, who’s a senior.

Offensively, Madison County continued to put the big play to use. Jacob Owens, who was 8-of-13 for 110 yards, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Cooper in the second quarter to put the Red Raiders up 14-0, and Kendrick Butler opened the second half for Madison County with a 68-yard touchdown to increase the advantage to 21-0.

Madison County answered Habersham Central’s lone score with a pair of late touchdowns to earn its second-most lopsided win of the year. Dean scored from one yard out with 3:31 left to put MCHS up 28-6, and Butler raced in from 26 yards out with just 1:15 remaining to give the Red Raiders a 29-point lead.

Butler finished with 94 yards rushing and has 197 on the ground in his last two games.

Not only did the Red Raiders prevail in their game, Clarke Central lost to Rockdale County, putting Madison County in sole possession of second place in Region 8-AAAA.

The Red Raiders move on to face Loganville (3-2) at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. as they remain in serious contention for both the state playoffs and region title.

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald October 2, 2009 edition

MT. AIRY --  Madison County 's Kendrick Butler rushed nine times for 100 yards and three touchdowns Friday as the Red Raiders defeated Habersham Central 35-6 in Region 8-AAAA play.

Madison County is now 5-1 and off to its best start since 2006.

Quarterback Jacob Owens completed 8 of 13 passes for 109 yards, one interception and a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Cooper.

Owens also rushed for a 1-yard touchdown.

The Red Raiders' defense held Habersham Central (3-3, 3-3) to but 75 yards of offense.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal online edition

by Ben Munro

Fact: Madison County has had a different leading rusher three different times in five games this season.

While that nugget may interest statistics enthusiasts, the guys carrying the ball couldn’t care less who gets that honor.

“We don’t have a back sitting back there going, “‘Man, you need to get the ball to me; I need to be carrying the ball every down,’” Raider coach Randell Owens said.

The unselfish attitude in the backfield has certainly paid off.

Madison County (4-1) has won four straight games, rushing for at least 200 yards in the last three, and finds itself in a tie with Clarke Central for second place in Region 8-AAAA heading into Friday’s game with Habersham Central.

After struggling with the ground game in 2008, Madison County has been able to pound the ball in 2009, with opponents unable to key in on just one ball carrier.

Last year’s leading rusher finished with just 254 yards. This year, two players, Jamal Cooper (208 yards) and Kendrick Butler (260 yards), have already eclipsed the 200-yard mark in just five games, while Stan Maxwell (186 yards) is approaching it. Meanwhile, quarterback Jacob Owens leads Madison County with six rushing touchdowns.

The selfless attitude extends beyond the backfield.

As the Raiders have become more ground-oriented, it’s meant less opportunities for receivers like Patrick McCrary, who’s caught only two passes in the last two games.

Owens said he even apologized to McCrary during a victory over Cedar Shoals Sept. 18. McCrary, who spent most of that evening blocking against the Jaguars, told Owens he had no problem with the conservative game plan and the coach appreciates that.

“We’ve got a lot of guys with that attitude that are playing just real unselfishly right now,” Owens said.

Paired with that unselfishness is a vastly improved offensive line paving the way for the running game.

Raider linemen receive weekly grades for their performance and five received “winning grades” of 70 percent after Madison County’s 21-16 win over Salem.

Owens might have to start posting these numbers in the locker room given the recent interest. Not long after Madison County’s victory last week, players were inquiring about grades.

“‘How did I grade out?’ It’s almost like you study all week for a test and bug the teacher, ‘Did I pass?’” Owens said.

This is just another indicator that this senior-laden offensive line takes its job seriously. Owens said the unit is intent on atoning for last year.

“They knew that was a weakness last year,” Owens said. “They’ve really taken it on themselves to work to try to improve week-by-week.”

This all has created problems for Madison County’s opponents. In years’ past, Madison County has been “right-handed” or strong-side oriented. But instead of running to one side of the offensive line this year, the Raiders now attack both sides equally.

Combined with several capable ball carriers, Madison County has a broader range of attack.

“It puts you in a position where you can try to call the play versus what the defense is lined up and doing as opposed to having to sit there and say we’ve got to get it to this particular player on this side of the line,” Owens said.

Madison County hopes that trend continues into the second half of the season as the Raiders are in the thick of the region title race.

But this much appears evident through five games: The Raiders are concerned with the bottom line, not headlines.

“It just goes back to the old thought of saying, ‘It’s amazing what you can get done when nobody cares who gets the credit,’” Owens said.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 26, 2009 online edition 

by Ben Munro

MCHS moves to 4-1 with 21-16 win

Madison County celebrated homecoming night by remaining red-hot in September.

The Raiders, who haven’t lost this month, built a 21-2 lead over Salem during the third quarter and held off the Seminoles for a huge 21-16 win.

The victory moved Madison County’s record to 4-1 as the resurgent Raiders remain tied for second in 8-AAAA.

“That’s huge, especially after the past couple of years,” Madison County safety Bracken Turner said. “Starting off 4-1 is something we needed. It’s something the community needed. I think they were starting to get down on Madison County football a little bit.”

Kendrick Butler ran for 112 yards on just 10 carries in the win while quarterback Jacob Owens had touchdown runs of 18 yards and one yard. Stan Maxwell also threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Patrick McCrary as Madison County ended a two-game losing streak to Salem.

The Raiders led 21-9 until the closing moments of the game when the Seminoles threw a seven-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left.

Madison County's defense held Salem to just 76 yards in the first two quarters as the Raiders took a 14-2 lead into halftime.

The turning point of the game came in the third quarter when Salem drove to the Madison County one-yard line where the Raiders turned back the Seminoles with a goal line stand. Madison County then moved 99 yards for a touchdown, capped off by a one-yard plunge by Owens to put the Raiders up 21-2.

Turner said he and a Raider assistant coach were calling the defensive stop “probably the biggest goal line stand in Madison County history,” noting that Salem ran six plays inside the Madison County five but couldn’t score.

“That pretty much sealed it for us,” Turner said.

The Raiders ran for over 200 yards for the third straight week, racking up 244 yards on the ground.

Salem 0 2 7 7 -- 16
MCHS 14 0 7 0 -- 21

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING -- Butler 10-112, Cooper 15-49, McCrary 3-48, Maxwell 2-18, Dean 2-11, Turner 1-5, Owens 12-1-2 TD
PASSING -- Owens 4-10, 84 yds; Maxwell 1-1, 14 yds., 1 TD
RECEIVING -- Butler 1-44, McCrary 2-34-1 TD, Cooper 1-15, Turner 1-5

Apalachee 20, Rockdale Co. 14
Madison Co. 21, Salem 16
Clarke Central 14, Heritage 10
Hab. Central 42, Winder-Barrow 35
Loganville 35, Cedar Shoals 7

Apalachee 4-0
Madison Co. 4-1
Clarke Central 4-1
Salem 3-2
Hab. Central 3-2
Loganville 2-2
Cedar Shoals 2-3
Rockdale Co. 1-3
Winder-Barrow 1-3
Heritage 1-4
Monroe Area 1-4

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald September 25, 2009 edition

* Jacob Owens, Madison Co. - Owens completed 4 of 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two touchdowns as the Red Raiders defeated Salem 21-16

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald September 25, 2009 edition

Staff Reports on September 27, 2009

Red Raiders Rolling On

After going 2-8 last season, Madison County is proving that it is a legitimate threat to grab a playoff spot in Region 8-AAAA with a 21-16 win over Salem on Friday.

The Red Raiders have done so with a more balanced offense. In their past three games, the Red Raiders' running game has picked up and led the team to a 4-1 start.

Against Salem, running back Kendrick Butler had his best game of the season with 103 yards on nine carries.

Owens completed 4 of 10 passes for 84 yards and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Patrick McCrary in the first quarter. McCrary caught two passes for 34 yards.

Owens also put points on the board on the second play of the game with an 18-yard run, and scored again on a 1-yard rush in the third quarter.

Kendrick Butler rushed 10 times for 112 yards for Madison County (4-1, 4-1 in Region 8-AAAA), which will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Habersham Central.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 25, 2009 online edition

by Ben Munro

An already big game with Salem Friday just got supersized.

Madison County (3-1) upset Cedar Shoals 29-28 last week and now finds itself tied with Salem and Clarke Central for second place in a wild Region 8-AAAA.

“We’ve just got to keep doin’ work … We’ve just got to keep working and look forward to next week. Salem, baby!,” Raider lineman Connor Boyett said after last week’s victory over Cedar Shoals.

Madison County faces the Seminoles (3-1) at 7:30 p.m. in Danielsville for homecoming.
Beating a talented Cedar Shoals team that advanced to the second round of the state playoffs last year has the Raiders believing as they continue though the teeth of their schedule.

“This builds our confidence a lot to get everybody up,” said Madison County linebacker Kale Bodiford, whose crucial blocked punt with five minutes left was the turning point in the victory over the Jaguars.

Raider coach Randell Owens points to the unpredictability and parity of the region and said Friday’s Madison County victory wasn’t as much of a surprise as people might think.

“I didn’t see it as as much of an upset as other people did,” Owens said.

As for Salem, Madison County faces a team that will throw a lot of speed and athleticism at the Raiders for the second-straight week.

The Seminoles, who’ve won three of the past five region titles, run a spread option similar to that of Georgia Tech and mix in some Wing-T, misdirection game.

Defensively, Salem is probably more athletic than Rockdale County (Madison County’s first opponent) but not as much as Cedar Shoals, Owens said. He added that the Seminoles are very well coached and “better balanced that most folks.”

Meanwhile, Madison County enters the game averaging 36.3 points per game in its last three contests and 241.5 yards on the ground in its last two games. The Raiders piled up 186 yards on the ground in the first half in last week’s victory over Cedar Shoals.

“The offensive line is getting better every week … Last year, we were pretty much right handed and everyone knew it,” Owens said.

Of course, the Cedar Shoals stats and the victory that came with it are now in the past, and Owens said it’s important that his team remember that. The celebration of the Cedar Shoals win ended Sunday, he said.

“If our kids keep buying into that, we have a chance to be successful,” Owens said.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal  online September 18, 2009 edition

On a wild night for special teams, it was a special teams play that finally tipped the scales in Madison County's favor.

Kale Bodiford blocked a Cedar Shoals punt with 5:26 left, setting up Madison County's game-winning touchdown as the Raiders stunned the Jaguars 29-28 Friday at home.

The huge victory moved the Raiders to 3-1 and into a three-way tie for second place in Region 8-AAAA.

"It was just open," Bodiford said of the block. "We just played our butts off. It was teamwork. It was all teamwork."

Bodiford's crucial play came after the Raiders, trailing 28-22, forced Cedar Shoals to punt after a three-and-out.

Bodiford broke through the line for the block and Donavan Carey scooped the loose ball around the Jaguar 40 and raced down to the nine yard line.

Raider quarterback Jacob Owens scored two plays later, tying the game at 28. Ian Webster's PAT gave Madison County the one-point advantage with 4:35 left.

Madison County's defense made sure there'd be no late drama as the Jaguars went backwards on their first three plays of their final offensive series.

Cedar Shoals opted to punt on fourth-and-14, but -- on a night of special team mishaps for both teams -- mishandled the attempt. Madison County took over at the Jaguar 17 and ran the clock out.

With the victory, the Raiders have already eclipsed last year's win total. Madison County defensive end Connor Boyett said his team was not to be denied in this one, remembering that last year's loss to Cedar Shoals started a seven-game losing streak following a 2-1 start.

"We started off last year 2-1, and we did not want to have the same record as last year," he said.

It was a roller coaster evening for the Raiders, who got started with a 59-yard touchdown from Jamal Cooper on the third play from scrimmage and built a 22-7 halftime lead after touchdown runs of seven and 26 yards from Kendrick Butler. The Raiders gashed Cedar Shoals for 186 yards on the ground in the first half and 222 in the game.

Madison County watched that lead evaporate in the second half, however, as Cedar Shoals rallied for three touchdowns, two of which were set-up by botched Raider punt attempts.

But the defense came up with big stop late when Madison County needed it, setting up Bodiford's heroics.

"It was a great win," Bodiford said. "It was crazy ... It was tough, but we did it."

STATISTICS

RUSHING: Cooper 6-78-1 TD; Owens 13-57-1 TD; Butler 4-48-2 TD; Maxwell 16-47; Turner 2-0; Cheek 1-15
PASSING: Owens 0-4, 0 yds; Cheek 0-1, 0 yds

REGION SCORES

Apalachee 21, Clarke Central 7
Madison Co. 29, Cedar Shoals 28
Salem 21, Monroe Area 8
Habersham Central 31, Loganville 27
Winder-Barrow 7, Heritage 0

REGION STANDINGS

Apalachee 3-0
Madison Co. 3-1
Clarke Central 3-1
Salem 3-1
Hab. Central 2-2
Cedar Shoals 2-2
Loganville 1-2
Winder-Barrow 1-2
Rockdale Co. 1-2
Heritage 1-3
Monroe Area 0-4

reprinted from The Madison County Journal online edition September 18, 2009

by Ben Munro

reprinted from The Madison County Journal September 12, 2009 online edition

reprinted from The Athens Banner Herald September 12, 2009 edition

Staff Reports

MONROE -- At Monroe , Madison County rolled up 531 offensive yards (253 rushing, 278 passing) Friday as the Red Raiders defeated the Purple Hurricanes 45-15, winning their second consecutive Region 8-AAAA game.

Madison County quarterback Jacon Owens completed 13 of 21 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown pass. He also rusned seven times for 20 yards and a score.

On the ground, the Raiders (2-1, 2-1) were led by Kendrick Butler (six attempts, 82 yards, two touchdowns), Jamal Cooper (seven attempts, 90 yards), Stan Maxwell (16 attempts, 60 yards, two touchdowns).

Patrick McCrary led Madison County 's receivers with three catches for 94 yards. He was paced by Trey Burton (1 reception, 58 yards, one touchdown), Bracken Turner (five receptions, 47 yards, one touchdown), Butler (one reception, 43 yards), Cooper (three receptions, 21 yards) and Maxwell (one reception, 15 yards).

The Red Raiders will host Cedar Shoals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal.com September 5, 2009 edition

Posted by
Ben Munro

reprinted from The Gwinnett Daily Post.com Saturday, September 5, 2009 edition

by Michael Alpert
Staff Correspondent

WINDER - Christian Davila passed for 193 yards and two touchdowns and Erin Hendricks blocked a punt for a safety, but it was too little to keep Winder-Barrow from losing to visiting Madison County, 35-29, in a Region 8-AAAA game Friday night.

Though the fourth straight loss to Madison, this one wasn't by the average of 27 points the previous three had been. And of emotional importance was scoring more than the touchdown Winder-Barrow had in each of the previous three matchups against Madison, instead even leading in the late moments.

"We've talked about playing with a heightened sense of urgency," Winder-Barrow coach Ben Corley said of his Bulldoggs vying for their first winning season in six years and improvement over last year's 1-9 season. "We've got to be focused and intense every snap."

The Bulldoggs (0-1, 0-1) hung with the Red Raiders (1-1, 1-1) until the 11th hour and even led, 29-28, on Kendrick Davis' 46-yard TD run with 5:37 remaining. But Madison turned the tables in Winder-Barrow's opener, as quarterback Jacob Owens snuck a yard with 1:05 to go for the victory.

"They're doing the same stuff, just more efficiently and effectively," Madison coach Randell Owens said of the Bulldoggs. "They've got a lot of weapons they're using pretty well."

Davila kept Winder-Barrow in the game with his passing, including a 46-yard scoring bomb to Trent Demeritte on fourth-and-3, which tied the game 7-7 with 5:35 left in the first quarter. He also targeted Demeritte on a 58-yarder that set up a 7-yard TD toss to Tyler Coleman to come within 28-22 with 7:55 remaining.

Down 28-16 after Madison's Patrick McCrary's 77-yard TD reception less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the Bulldoggs mounted an improbable rally that nearly won. After Davila found Coleman for a score, Davis' run put the Bulldoggs narrowly in control.

But ultimately, the Bulldogs couldn't stop the Madison quarterback from plodding into the end zone on his second sneak attempt from a yard out.

reprinted from The Madison County Journal.com September 5, 2009 edition

by Ben Munro

Winder-Barrow threw Madison County a gift-wrapped interception in the waning moments Friday night, and Raider defensive back Presly McKeever was there to gladly accept it.

With his team trailing Winder-Barrow 29-28 late and on the verge of losing, McKeever snagged a wayward pass from Christian Davila near the Bulldogg 25 and returned the ball to the one-yard line with 1:16 left. Raider quarterback Jacob Owens scored two players later to give Madison County (1-1) a wild 35-29 win over the Bulldoggs (0-1).

“I was kind of scared,” McKeever said of the interception. “I thought I was going to drop it. I was too open. But I caught it and tried to score.”

As for Owens, it was the second touchdown of the night for the ailing quarterback who’d missed one day of school this week due to illness.

His one-yard plunge with 1:05 left ensured that Madison County wouldn’t start the year 0-2.
“That was easy what I did,” Owens said. “The hard part was what Presley and the defense did. That was all them.”

The game-changing interception was the result of an apparent Bulldogg miscommunication.

McKeever said the Winder-Barrow receiver ran a stop route, while the Davila threw it long. The Raider corner back read the quarterback and stayed with the pass.

“I saw the quarterback rare back, so I knew he was fixing to throw it there,” he said. “I knew I had that one.”

McKeever’s interception and Owens’ score capped a helter skelter series of events for Madison County, which had blown a 12-point fourth quarter lead.

The Raiders took a 28-16 advantage with 11:30 left after Bracken Turner stepped in at quarterback, rolled right, and hit Patrick McCrary for a 78-yard touchdown pass.

But Winder-Barrow rallied for two touchdowns to take a 29-28 edge with 5:37 left.

Madison County then drove to the Bulldogg two, where it seemingly saw its hopes slip away when Jamal Cooper was stopped short of the end zone on a fourth down with just 2:52 left, giving the ball back to Winder-Barrow.

But the Raider defense forced a third-and-seven, and that’s when McKeever fielded Davila’s errant pass, sprinted inside the five and hurled his body toward the endzone, getting stopped just short of the goal line.

A few Raider players thought he’d broken the plane and scored, including McKeever.

“I think I hit the pylon a little bit,” McKeever said.

The victory was the Raiders' first since Sept. 12, 2008 when they beat Monroe Area 34-0. But Madison County had to survive being out-gained 331-168 and play opportunistic football to win this one.

Madison County, which led 21-14 at the half, forced four turnovers – two which led to touchdowns -- while Jamal Cooper returned a kickoff 83 yards for a score, his second in as many weeks.

“There was a lot of team effort in the game,” McKeever said. “This is the best team effort we’ve had in a long time.”

RUSHING: Maxwell 11-26-1 TD, Cooper 10- -7, Dean 1-11, Butler 3-4, Samples 1-4, Owens 8-5-2 TD, Turner 1-2
PASSING: Turner 1-2, 78 yds. 1 TD, Owens 3-7, 45 yds.
RECEIVING: McCrary 2-102, 1 TD, Cooper 1-16, McKeever 1-5