Three good quarters are not enough
FRANKLINVILLE – A lopsided second quarter was too much for the Ocean City Red Raiders to overcome as they fell to the Delsea Crusaders 35-14.
Delsea running back Dan Russo scored three touchdowns in the quarter, putting the game out of reach for the Raiders by halftime.
The loss dropped the Raiders to 1-3 on the year. They have given up 33 or more points in each of the last three games.
After Ocean City failed to convert a fourth down, Delsea received the ball at midfield and started its attack. The Crusaders ran the ball seven times on the drive with five different players recording a rushing attempt. Quarterback Zach Maxwell ended the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run up the middle.
Delsea went up 6-0 after the extra point attempt failed and Ocean City got the ball back with a minute left in the first quarter. Ocean City’s offense got sacked on third down to end the quarter, foreshadowing what would happen in the second quarter.
The Crusaders continued their assault on the Raider defense by running the ball six straight times. Russo eventually broke free and ran into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. Due to the missed extra point earlier, Delsea went for the two-point conversion and succeeded with another run by Russo.
On the following kickoff return, Ocean City fumbled the ball, giving Delsea great field position at the Ocean City 18-yard line. Russo ended the drive quickly with his second touchdown run of the game from 11 yards away.
Ocean City blocked the extra point to go down 20-0 with seven minutes left in the second quarter. After back-to-back touchdowns by Delsea, the Raider offense finally came back onto the field.
Senior quarterback Walker Bailey went out onto the field ready to pull his team back into the game, but on the second play of the drive, he was sacked by the Delsea defense and limped off the field. Bailey did not return to the game, which thrust sophomore quarterback Ryan Hendricks into the starting role.
Hendricks had played earlier in the season against Pleasantville in the Raiders’ season opening win versus the Greyhounds. The Raiders punted back to the Crusaders.
The Raiders struggled to contain Russo and the Crusader rushing attack as Delsea marched 66 yards in six minutes for another score to end the half. Russo earned his third touchdown of the quarter and scored on the following 2-point attempt to make the game 28-0 at halftime. He scored 22 points for his team in the second quarter.
“We had a bad second quarter, that is too good of a team for you to not play a complete 48 minutes,” Ocean City head coach Kevin Smith said after the game. “I hope that we learn a lot about how you respond to adversity. When it gets hard it cannot be a retreat. You must double down on your fundamentals and toughness.”
The second half looked a lot better for the Raiders as they forced the second Delsea punt of the game.
Senior running back Duke Guenther and the offense put together their first complete drive of the night. After a 23-yard catch by senior tight end Roy Salugta on third down, Guenther got the offense to the 1-yard line. Hendricks put the Raiders on the board with a run up the left side for a touchdown.
Ryder Hay’s extra point made the score 28-7 and the Ocean City sideline was pumped up for the next series.
Hoping to build on the momentum, the Raider defense got Delsea to another fourth down at midfield. This time, however, Delsea went for it on fourth down. A busted coverage downfield left running back Alex Grippo wide open, and he sprinted down the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown catch.
Ocean City now faced a 35-7 deficit after that crushing score, but the Raiders kept fighting.
On the next series, Hendricks and the offense led their most impressive drive of the night, a 15-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. Guenther converted on two fourth downs on the series, including a one-handed catch that would have led to a score if not for a shoestring tackle by a defender. Senior wide receiver Jon Moyer ended the drive with a leaping touchdown catch from Hendricks.
That series took more than seven minutes off the clock, leaving only six minutes remaining. Down 35-14, Ocean City went for an onside kick but couldn’t come up with the ball. Their defense ended the game, stopping Delsea on fourth down. The Raiders only gave up 7 points the whole second half.
After a horrific second quarter, the Raiders ended the game on a positive note, scoring on both offensive drives and holding the Crusader offense to one score.
“We played three great quarters and one quarter which cost us the game,” Smith said.
Ocean City is on a bye week, allowing the team a needed opportunity to get healthy and prepare for the second half of the season.
Ocean City’s next game is Sept. 29 versus Winslow. Game time is 6 p.m. at Carey Stadium.
By WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel