OCEAN CITY – Three games into the football season and the Ocean City Red Raiders remain unbeaten.
On Friday the 13th, Ocean City High School took over a spooky fourth quarter and defeated Lenape High School 21-14.
Both teams scored on their first possession of the game but were kept out of the end zone until the final frame. Tied at 7-7 the Raiders needed a spark and senior quarterback Walker Bailey delivered.
The Raiders were four yards away from the end zone on fourth down to begin the fourth quarter. Bailey used his legs and powered through the line of scrimmage to break the stalemate.
Ocean City’s defense got the ball right back to Bailey. The Raiders contained Lenape quarterback Kellen Pierce for most of the game, but defensive back Cole Dessicino finally got ahold of one of Pierce’s passes when Ocean City needed it most
Pierce’s pass was tipped over the middle and landed into Dessicino’s hands for the interception. Bailey and the offense got the ball back but ended up faced with a fourth and long situation.
All season long the Raiders have relied on the ground game but looked to their quarterback to finish the drive. He connected with receiver J.P. Forster on a perfect back shoulder catch down the sideline for the first down.
Two plays later, Bailey and Forster connected again for a 25-yard touchdown pass over the middle of the field. Forster leaped over a defender to make the catch and added a touchdown catch to his stat sheet along with two interceptions a week prior against Eastern High School.
In the most important moments of the game, the Raiders increased their lead to 14 points.
“We thought it was going to be a fourth-quarter game coming in,” Ocean City head coach Kevin Smith said. “I thought in the fourth quarter we made the plays we needed to make. We got a big first down to grind the clock out and a big stop when we had to have it. I just think our guys right now are doing the little things that you need to do to win games.”
Bailey finished the game with three total touchdowns – two running and one passing – and led a Raider offense that was relentless on the ground. Running back Triston Schmidt had more than 90 yards rushing which helped Ocean City dominate the time of possession.
The Raiders’ first drive of the game was a 16-play marathon that took up 10 minutes of clock. Bailey finished it off as he faked a handoff and walked into the end zone unscathed.
“I know we can run the ball well and we always game-plan for it,” Bailey said. “On offense we made big plays when we had to and when opportunities appeared we took advantage of it.”
There was a fright early. On the third play of the game, Ocean City’s busted coverage in the secondary left Lenape receiver Macon Lincoln wide open. He sprinted down the middle of the field and scored a 67-yard touchdown.
The only other scoring opportunity in the first half was an Ocean City field goal. Lenape blocked the attempt and returned the ball to the Ocean City 30-yard line.
In a tough spot, the Raider defense stopped Lenape on fourth down.
Lenape’s offense put together a quick drive late in the game which ended in a touchdown run by Pierce. The touchdown cut the lead to 21-14.
After the Raiders’ offense burned three minutes of clock, Lenape got the ball back with all three timeouts and just more than two minutes remaining. Lenape only gained one yard on its final drive of the game as the Raiders forced a turnover on downs to effectively end the game.
Smith described his defense’s performance as “solid” and noted how they have not allowed more than 14 points in a game this season.
“That’s a pretty good formula not giving up more than 14 points,” Smith said. “I think we can win a lot of games if we keep holding teams to two scores or less.”
The 3-0 Raiders’ next game will be on Sept. 20 at home against 1-2 Atlantic City High School. The battle between the two beachside communities will be the Raiders’ last home game until Oct. 18 versus Holy Spirit High School.
After the game against Atlantic City, the Raiders will play their first road game of the year when they travel to Hammonton High School Sept. 27. Ocean City visited Hammonton twice last season and eventually had their season end to the Blue Devils.
– STORY by WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
