OCEAN CITY – Another dominant performance on defense by the Red Raider football team gave Ocean City a 2-0 start to the season.
Senior J.P. Forster hauled in two interceptions as the Raiders shut out Eastern Regional High School 23-0 Friday, Sept 6. Ocean City picked off Eastern three times and only gave up six first downs.
“Tremendous effort by the defense,” Ocean City head coach Kevin Smith said. “They were swarming to the ball and creating turnovers all day. We talked all week about how we don’t think they can drive on us if we don’t give up big plays and we did that today.”
In the first two games of the season, the Raiders defense allowed 7 points and forced four turnovers. Sophomore Jake Chapman had an early sack versus Eastern to bring his season total to four as the entire defensive unit has been feasting on quarterbacks so far.
After a defensive battle in the first quarter, Ocean City made a couple big plays in the second quarter to blow the game wide open.
The Raiders marched their way down the field led by running back Triston Schmidt. Schmidt picked up three Ocean City first-down conversions including one on fourth down. The junior later capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run right up the middle.
Schmidt scored twice in the game for his third and fourth touchdowns of the season. Alongside Clay Compton’s two touchdowns from last week the running back duo has been impressive thus far.
After Schmidt’s first touchdown of the game Eastern had possession of the ball for only one play.
Following the kickoff, Eastern quarterback Logan Dawson dropped back to pass but was met with a wall of Raider linemen. He quickly got off a pass downfield but was intercepted by senior Colin Thompson, who jumped in front of the route. With the help of his defensive line, Thompson gave Ocean City a chance to take over the game.
On offense, the Raiders wasted no time and reached the end zone on their second play from scrimmage.
Quarterback Walker Bailey threw a routine slant over the middle to Ryan Hendricks for a first down, but Hendricks shed a tackle and broke free down the right sideline for a 38-yard touchdown.
The Raider sideline and home crowd were ecstatic as the junior wide receiver outran the entire defense.
Thanks to multiple different players on both sides of the ball, Ocean City scored two touchdowns in a four-play span to go up 13-0 by the end of the first half.
A poor punt by Eastern gave Bailey and the offense the ball just outside the red zone at the 29-yard line. The Raiders got down to the seven-yard line but faced a fourth down with only a yard to go. Ocean City lined up to go for it but were flagged with a false start to push back the attempt.
Six yards away from a first down, Smith opted to settle for a field goal. Hendricks came into the game as a holder and set up Forster’s kick. However, the whole stadium was fooled as Hendricks caught the snap and rolled out to his right. He managed to reach the sideline and cut up field for a 10-yard gain and a Raider first down.
Schmidt scored on the very next play with a run up the middle which extended Ocean City’s lead to 20-0.
After the game, Smith talked about Hendricks and the fake field goal call.
“They called a timeout before the field goal, so we got a look at what they were in,” Smith said. “We felt confident and he just turned the corner to pick it up. Ryan Hendricks had a hell of a game today and we must find more ways to get the ball in that young man’s hands.”
Eastern’s final drive of the third quarter encapsulated the impact Ocean City’s defense had on the game. Clifford Dirkes sacked Dawson for a 9-yard loss on first down. Later, Forster caught his second interception on third down to essentially seal the game for the Raiders.
There were no more tricks up the Raiders’ sleeves as they let Forster add three points from 29 yards away near the end of the game.
Ocean City’s next game is 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, against Lenape High School. Lenape is 0-2 with a 14-10 loss to Passaic Tech and 27-10 loss to Cherokee.
– By WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
