Business as usual for the Raiders

The Red Raiders of Portland traveled to Charlotte this past Friday. Games like this are what I call a trap game. A trap game is one played the week before your biggest game of the year. I call it a trap game because if you overlook your opponent while thinking too much about the future, you may get trapped in a loss.

That wasn’t the case for the Red Raiders, as they brought the heat to Charlotte. Carson Simon got the scoring started for the Raiders, taking one into the end zone on the ground for the first touchdown of the game. That was the only scoring drive of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Carson Spenski punched one in for the Raiders, scoring his first and only touchdown of the night before leaving the game due to injury. His touchdown increased Portland’s lead to 14-0.

Coming out of halftime, I expected to see more scoring from the Raiders, but unfortunately, Spenski’s absence showed as Portland went scoreless throughout the entire third quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Carson Simon found Kehyan Page for a touchdown. Page was fired up after the scoring play, especially considering that the play before, a Charlotte defensive back had tugged on his jersey, resulting in a pass interference penalty.

With Charlotte unable to find any momentum, the Raiders’ defense stood strong and preserved the shutout. Portland secured a 21-0 victory, extending its undefeated streak to 8-0.

Senior running back Carson Spenski finished with nine carries for 106 yards and one touchdown. Based on the way Spenski was running in the first half, I have zero doubts that he could have finished the night with 200 rushing yards if he hadn’t gotten injured.

Brady Crowley also received some very valuable carries, finishing with 17 carries for 85 yards. The young man has been showing flashes of greatness and could become a Portland legend. Despite being only a sophomore, he has already played a crucial role for this team.

Portland now faces its toughest opponent of the season in Unity Christian. This matchup will be a great test for the Raiders, especially with the playoffs just over a week away.

Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. at Portland High School.

I caught up with sophomore running back Brady Crowley to discuss his growing role on the team, the possibility of stepping up in Carson Spenski’s absence, and the upcoming matchup against Unity Christian.

Do you see yourself getting a heavier workload come playoff time after showing flashes of greatness during the regular season?

“Yes, sir. I do feel my workload getting heavier now that the playoffs are coming around. My coaches are putting more trust in me now that I’ve been able to prove myself. All credit goes to the guys up front for giving me good blocks and allowing me to do what I do.”

With Carson dealing with a shoulder injury, do you see yourself rising to the occasion and filling Spenski’s shoes if needed?

“Yeah, I would definitely say that if the opportunity presents itself, I can rise to the occasion and fill Carson’s shoes. I know I don’t have the speed he has, but I make up for it with my strength. I’m hoping Carson will be suited up and ready to help us out this week.”

What’s the message to the team this week as you face arguably your toughest test of the season against Unity Christian?

“The message this week is that we’ve got to execute our assignments and execute them well, and we will get the job done.”