Ravenscroft football
FILE PHOTO
Junior RB Connor Gonet (44) rushed for 136 yards on just eight carries in Ravenscroft's 55-3 thumping of Fayetteville Christian Friday night.
Ravens roll over Warriors
With last week’s lopsided loss to Charlotte Country Day fresh in its mind, the Ravenscroft football team scored on its first eight possessions Friday night, en route to a dominating 55-3 victory over Fayetteville Christian.
“After last Friday we wanted to come back and revisit the fundamentals," said Ravens coach Ned Gonet. "We went back to the basic schemes, and tried to do the things that we do well. We don’t want to try to be somebody we’re not."
Fayetteville Christian didn’t generate much offense during the game, but the Warriors caught the Ravens off guard on the first play from scrimmage. Fayetteville's Brandon Johnson, lining up at wide receiver, took a reverse hand off and found tight end Mike Niedermayer for a 45-yard pass play.
The excitement was short-lived for Fayetteville, however, as the Ravens defense settled down and forced a punt.
Sophomore quarterback Quinn Billerman and the Ravens’ offense took over at their 30-yard line, following a 20-yard punt return by Shane Bird.
On first down, Billerman pitched the ball to Temple Sloan, and the running back utilized an excellent downfield block by Jake Morin to score on a 70-yard touchdown run. The PAT gave the Ravens a quick 7-0 lead.
Following the kick and two short runs by the Fayetteville offense, Ravenscroft linebacker Alexander Spears sacked Fayetteville QB Sam Hendrickson for a 15-yard loss, forcing the Warriors to punt for the second time.
The punt rolled out of bounds at midfield, where Ravenscroft took over.
On first down, Bird made an acrobatic catch on a tipped pass from Billerman for a 26-yard gain. Running back Connor Gonet followed with 20 more yards on the ground, giving the Ravens first and goal at the 5-yard line. Gonet later finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown plunge.
Sterling Baker’s kick made it 14-0 with 5:28 left in the first quarter.
Following the kickoff, Spears’ second sack of the night forced another Fayetteville punt.
Bird fielded the kick at the 36-yard line and broke several tackles before accelerating past the Fayetteville coverage for a 64-yard touchdown, and a 20-0 lead.
The first quarter ended with Ravenscroft on top 21-0.
The Ravenscroft offense kept Fayetteville on its heals by alternating between short passes and bruising Gonet runs to start the second quarter.
“We did a little no-huddle stuff in the second quarter, and allowed Quinn Billerman to go out there and call some plays," Coach Gonet said. "I thought he did a pretty good job. He’s a young quarterback. He’s learning. What I wanted him to do was continue to understand the game, process what he sees, and try to attack spots that can help us."
Connor Gonet scored his second touchdown on an 18-yard scamper with 9:44 left in the second quarter. During the drive, the junior recorded three carries for 36 yards. He finished the game with eight carries for 136 yards, leading all rushers.
The PAT made it 28-0.
Down four touchdowns and under relentless pressure from the Ravenscroft defense, the Warriors began to implode. Three consecutive penalties backed Fayetteville Christian up to their own 8-yard line. On third and 35, Spears recovered a Fayetteville fumble.
On first down, Sloan cashed in, scoring his second touchdown on a 5-yard run. The extra point made it 35-0.
Later in the second quarter, Conor Fry charged through the middle of the Fayetteville line to get his hand on a Warriors punt. The partial block gave the Ravens the football at the Fayetteville 39-yard line.
Gonet then broke off runs of 15 and 17 yards, before Sloan scored on a 6-yard run with 13 seconds before halftime. With the extra point, the Ravens led 42-0. Sloan finished with three carries for 81 yards and three touchdowns.
As the Ravens pulled ahead, Coach Gonet started rotating in some of his more inexperienced players.
“We were able to get the younger guys on the field," he said. "That gives us an opportunity to create some depth. The score was contained, but I wanted them to go out there and execute.”
To start the second half, Fayetteville kicked the ball out of bounds, giving Ravenscroft the ball at the 35-yard line. Connor Gonet took the first-down hand-off and ran 48 yards to the Fayetteville 16-yard line. Two plays later, Lewis Stocks busted into the end zone with a 15-yard touchdown run.
Baker’s kick made it 48-0.
The Ravens’ John Haslett ended another Fayetteville possession when he recovered a fumble at the Warriors’ 22-yard line.
With new quarterback Andrew Roberson under center, the Ravens drove to the 8-yard line, where Stocks ran in his second touchdown.
The PAT was blocked, making the score 55-0 at the end of the third quarter.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Fayetteville used a 15-yard pass from Johnson, who rotated with Hendrickson at quarterback, to set up a 36-yard field goal. Johnson led the Warriors in both passing (53 yards) and rushing (37 yards).
Though the offense provided plenty of highlights, Coach Gonet singled out the defense after the game.
“They did a pretty good job of flying around, making some sticks and playing coverage," he said. “We’ve got to keep the eye on the ball, and the ball is winning the conference."
Ravenscroft visits Wake Christian Friday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
