Veteran Roane County head coach Paul Burdette expected his team to face a stern test last Friday when the Raiders traveled to take on North Marion.
The Huskies had defeated RCHS each of the last two seasons, including a 2023 victory that snapped the Raiders’ 20-game regular season win streak. There was also a one-point NMHS victory in a 2022 Class AA quarterfinal.
This time around, Burdette’s team flipped the script and claimed a 14-6 victory thanks to a dominant ground game centered around efficiency and an even better defensive showing that limited the Huskies to less than 100 total yards.
The visitors sealed the outcome by possessing the ball for the final 9:26 to prevent North Marion from having a chance to tie.
“We haven’t played many full length games and really since Clay, we haven’t played a full game,” Burdette said, referencing the Raiders’ 47-46 Week 3 win against the Panthers. “How were we going to respond to having to play four quarters? I’ve told people all year long, I think we’re a good football team, but I don’t know exactly how good we are. That answers some questions with how we finished.”
A 67-yard touchdown run from Roane’s Lane Watson, a bruising 6-foot-3, 200-pound tailback, left the Raiders with the eight-point lead late in the third quarter.
After the Huskies punted following a five play series on the ensuing possession, Roane regained possession at its 2-yard line 2:34 into the final frame. All the Raiders did was generate five first downs on a 15-play series, including Shay Harper’s 6-yard run on fourth-and-4 from just across midfield with inside 1 minute to play.
“Our offense is kind of unique. Not very many people run it,” Burdette said of the Wing-T. “Us and Frankfort are about the only ones that really sellout and do it that way. We get into a little bit more heavy stuff and power stuff than what Frankfort does. These guys have grown up loving it, they believe in it and it works.”
Watson led all players with 157 rushing yards on 22 carries, spearheading a ground game that produced 292 yards on 51 attempts. The Huskies, meanwhile, were held to 69 rushing yards, 92 total yards and five first downs in a matchup that saw them run only 29 offensive plays.
“That’s their community and coaching staff,” North Marion head coach Daran Hays said of the Raiders. “They’ve always had great, tough kids and physical kids.”
The biggest negative for Burdette’s team came on the game’s first play when the Huskies recovered their own kickoff on a higher, shorter boot that gave the home team the game’s first possession at the Roane 36.
Five plays later, Trevor Mullett’s 12-yard run on fourth-and-1 produced the game’s first touchdown at the 10:06 mark of the opening quarter. North Marion never scored again.
“Getting down early, not letting it bother us and just playing our butts off and being calm, cool and collected,” Burdette said regarding how his team moved forward from the deficit. “Maturity is a big deal for this team.”
The Raiders (9-0) enter Friday’s regular season finale against Ripley seeking an unbeaten regular season. Should Roane defeat the Vikings, it would secure home field advantage throughout the postseason as no lower than the No. 2 seed in Class AA and mark the program’s second undefeated regular season in three years.
Wins over the Panthers and Huskies are Roane’s only victories by fewer than 24 points, and the most recent contest marked the only time this season the Raiders have been held below 36 points.
Watson keys the balanced rushing attack with 1,494 yards and 19 touchdowns on 116 carries. Harper added 752 yards on 88 attempts with 109 touchdowns, while Clay Walker follows with 618 yards on 102 attempts and 11 TDs. Altogether, that’s 40 rushing scores and 2,864 yards on the ground from the trio.
“No. 88 [Watson] is a dog and No. 31 [Harper] is a good player,” Hays said. “Their line was probably a little better than I expected.”
When the Raiders most needed to, they rose to the occasion at North Marion. It was a welcome sight for Burdette, who hopes to coach his team into December as Roane seeks its first appearance in a state final since Walton and Spencer consolidated to form RCHS in 1993. Spencer played in consecutive Class AA title games in 1990 and 1991, while winning the latter.
“Hats off to my guys. We’ve prepared really hard this year,” Burdette said. “We were tested and we haven’t been tested a lot this year. I’ve proud of their resiliency and effort. I knew coach Hays would have a great game plan and he did. What a ball game.”