After a two-week layoff due to a bye, the Atlee Raiders were anxious to flex their muscles against Henrico in a homecoming match up last Friday night.

  The Raiders did not disappoint a standing room only home crowd, shutting out the Warriors 19-0 and upping their record to 4-1.

  Senior quarterback/defensive back Dylan Garthright returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to get the Raiders started.

  “We came out a little slow, but picked it up in the second half,” said Garthright, who passed for 80 yards and added another 79 yards on the ground.

  After the teams traded interceptions in the first quarter, Garthright’s pick with nine minutes until halftime provided all the advantage the Raiders would need.

  Garthright, who plays on both sides of the ball for the Raiders, said the play could have gone either way. “If he would have thrown it deep, I was beat, but he under-threw it so I jumped around and picked it off.”

  It was the Raider defense, anchored by junior linebacker Josh Doggett, who led the region with 15 tackles and one assist that carried the evening for the Raiders, consistently shutting out Henrico in key situations. After the Warriors recovered a fumble deep in Raider territory in the opening period, the defense forced Henrico into an insurmountable fourth-and-40.

  “I was happy with the way the defense played, and we knew the offense would start slow after a week off,” said Atlee head coach Roscoe Johnson. “I’m excited about this defense. They earned a shutout tonight and that’s what we’re asking for.”

  Senior linebacker Hunter Brooks complemented Doggett’s effort with eight tackles and an interception.

  The Raiders carried a 6-0 lead to halftime, and the Warriors played Atlee even in a scoreless third quarter.

  But early in the fourth quarter, Atlee’s backup QB, junior Drew Ferguson scored on a one-yard sneak that put the Raiders up 12-0. The drive started when senior linebacker and Homecoming King Brooks picked off a Jerimy Mask pass and set the Raiders up in Warrior territory.

  Garthright capped a late game drive with a six-yard touchdown run.

  Atlee senior running back Trevor Elie supplied the bulk of yardage on that drive with a bust out run of 57 yards. Elie finished the night with 109 yards.

  Following the conversion, the Raiders put the finishing touches on a 19-0 victory, their first district win of the year.

  Johnson said having Garthright on the field on either side of the ball is a real advantage for his team. “After being together so long, Dylan and I think alike,” Johnson said. “When he changes a play, it’s usually the exact play I would have picked. He’s a great asset to have out there, but he’s not our only weapon at quarterback,” the coach added.

  Garthright shares snaps with junior Ferguson. “(Ferguson) can lead this team too so I’ve got a two-headed monster at quarterback. I’m excited.”

  After the homecoming festivities ended, and the visitors boarded the bus for home, the Atlee coach and his quarterback were already thinking of the next challenge— a big one in the form of home contest against district powerhouse Varina.

  “We’ve got a lot of momentum going in to Varina,” Garthright said. “We’re going to take it to them and get a win for the student body.”

  The coach is hoping months of preparation including four day a week weightlifting sessions at 5:45 a.m., will pay off. “We prepared for our district games by working hard this summer and going to South Carolina and playing some of the top teams in the country,” Johnson said. “These kids have worked hard and bought in to what we’re doing. I think they’ll be ready,” Johnson said.
 
Henrico———————- 0 0 0   0—0
Atlee—————————- 0 6 0 13—19
A—Garthright 18 interception return (kick failed)
A—Ferguson 1 run (run failed)
A—Garthright 6 run (Dalton kick)