The Racine Raiders were very stingy hosts Saturday night at Historic Horlick Athletic Field in their 2012 season opener against the Chicago Colts.

The Raiders defense held the Colts offense to negative yardage in the first half, even after the Colts gained 24 yards in their final drive of the first half. The Colts finished the game with 13 total yards and minus-two passing yards.

The Raiders offense looked nearly as sterling as the defense. Racine rushed the ball 33 times for 224 yards and added 116 yards through the air for a total of 340 yards in the game.

J.R. Taylor led the running attack, rushing eight times for 91 yards and three touchdowns. Deonte Trawick added 26 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns.

Craig McClelland, a former standout at Union Grove High School and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, performed well in his first game as a Raider. McClelland narrowly missed on several early passes but finished the game completing 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

Taylor earned the first touchdown of the 2012 season on a 30-yard run with 12:03 to play in the first quarter. Joel DaPra added the extra point and the Raiders led 7-0 early.

Taylor capped a six play, 42-yard drive, with an 11-yard touchdown run with 6:35 to play in the first quarter. DaPra converted the extra point and the Raiders led 14-0.

Trawick would get the honors on the Raiders third drive on a nine-yard run with 3:12 to play in the first quarter. The DaPra kick was good and the Raiders led 21-0.

McClelland got his first touchdown pass as a Raider to top off a nine play, 48-yard drive, with 11:20 to play in the first half when he found Dorian Palmer on an 11-yard pass. DaPra again converted the extra point and the Raiders led 28-0.

The Raiders special teams came through with 8:57 to play in the first half. Brandon Fenderson blocked a line drive punt by Reginald Holmes and Brandon Rogers picked it up and dove into the endzone for a touchdown. The DaPra kick was good and the Raiders led 35-0.

McClelland would throw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Terrence Fitch from 35 yards out. DaPra added the extra point and the Raiders led 42-0 with 6:52 to play in the first half.

With just under six minutes to play in the half, Eric Feest intercepted a Holmes pass and ran it into the endzone but the touchdown was called back due to a block in the back penalty. The Raiders offense would eat over four minutes off the clock to go just 15 yards, culminating in a five-yard touchdown run by Trawick, his second of the game. The DaPra kick was good and the Raiders would take a 49-0 lead into the half.

The Raiders turned to quarterback Chris Walsh in the second half and the offense didn't miss a beat. Walsh connected with Fitch on a 23-yard touchdown to cap a four play, 52-yard drive. DaPra again converted the point-after attempt and the Raiders led with 12:27 to play in the third quarter.

Taylor would score his third touchdown of the game with 8:45 to play in the third quarter on an eight yard run. The DaPra conversion attempt was wide right and the Raiders led 62-0.

Both teams agreed to a running clock after the Taylor score and the Raiders would only muster a field goal the rest of the way, beating the Colts 65-0.

The Raiders will host one of the hottest teams in the nation next week at Historic Horlick Athletic Field as the Des Moines Blaze burn a path to Racine. The game begins at 7 p.m. and will be carrier live on WRJN 1400 AM and online through the WRJN website at http://www.wrjn.com.

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