HS Football: Blue Raiders’ defense, McDowell power shutout
Tamaqua sophomore running back Terrence McDowell (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
BANGOR — Tamaqua’s defense set the tone in the first half.
When the offense got rolling in the second half, there was little Bangor could do as the Blue Raiders spoiled the Slaters’ homecoming with a 20-0 win in a Schuylkill-Colonial Red Division football game Friday night at Bangor Memorial Park.
Tamaqua’s defense stifled Bangor, holding the Slaters to minus-23 yards rushing on 15 attempts.
“We take it personally,” said senior linebacker/wide receiver Brady McCabe. “We come from Coal Region football. We want to own the line of scrimmage on every play no matter who we’re playing. Our front seven, those are the toughest dudes on our team. We don’t want the ball to come on our side of the line of scrimmage. That’s our goal.”
McCabe had three tackles for loss in the game as Bangor had seven plays finish behind the line of scrimmage. The Slaters (0-6, 0-5 Red) failed to gain a first down on their first three possessions.
“Our guys are starting to play a little bit tougher up front,” said Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner, mentioning Malachi Stewart and Carter Troutman as two of those players. “Some of the younger guys are getting better as the year goes on. That’s always our goal, to get better as the year goes on.”
The Blue Raiders (3-3, 2-2) wore down their opponent on both sides of the ball. Their first possession of the game spanned 51 yards on 12 plays and ate nearly seven minutes off the clock. Stewart capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
After a second Bangor three-and-out, Tamaqua mounted another long drive, going from its own 21-yard line to the Slater 9 in 15 plays before penalties killed the march. The Raiders chewed 10 minutes off the clock but gave the ball back at the Bangor 20.
A turnover ended Tamaqua’s third possession and the first-half clock stopped its fourth. But when the Blue Raiders got the ball to start the second half, they turned to their workhorse. Terrence McDowell carried the ball all six plays of the drive, including a 39-yard burst that set up his 3-yard touchdown just 2:15 into the third quarter.
McDowell had 54 yards in the first half and 137 in the second to finish with 191 yards on 30 carries.
“We were a different team when we came out after halftime,” McDowell said. “It’s just all about adjustments. First half we were going inside and then in the second half the outside stuff opened up.”
The Slaters’ fourth three-and-out of the game followed the touchdown and featured a no-gain stop by McCabe, a sack and Troutman’s tackle for loss on third down.
