Racine Raiders defensive back Quan Jackson wasn’t even sure he was going to be available for Saturday’s highly anticipated clash with the Sheboygan County SaberCats at Historic Horlick Athletic Field in Racine. Wis. His girlfriend’s grandmother had passed just a couple of days earlier and the veteran players was filled with emotion and not knowing what was next in the planning process. He was able to make it and he sealed the 17-16 Mid-West United Football league game. The win moved the Raiders to 8-0 on the season and 5-0 in MWUF play while Sheboygan County slipped to 7-2 over and 4-2 in league action.
It was slated to be a classic battle between the SaberCats offense, one of the top in the country, and the Raiders defense, which had not allowed any points at home this season and only allowed one touchdown all year. The final drive, with the powerhouse Sheboygan offense and ferocious Raiders defense on the field gave fans everything they could want with just under two minutes remaining in the game. After a Justin Billiot completion of 20 yards to Steve Strong, he tried to connect with Strong again but the pass was off the mark. Raiders linebacker Gary Young, Jr., then sacked Billiot for a loss of ten yards. Billiot then heaved the ill-fated pass for Kaden Summerville but Jackson had better position to track it down. He initially bobbled it trying to make the over-the-shoulder catch along the Raiders sideline but was able to secure the football and get both feet down. Raiders quarterback Sawyer Schick then took to knees to keep the Raiders perfect season intact.
On the SaberCats first drive of the game, they started behind the sticks after a false start. Billiot then connected on two consecutive passes to give Sheboygan County a first down but the Raiders defense would hold and the drive would end after Raiders defensive lineman Carter Mayer sacked Billiot on third down.
The Raiders started their first drive at their own 31-yard line and Schick immediately went for a home run ball to wide receiver Miles Gallagher but Gallagher couldn’t quite track it down. The Raiders drive twice looked like it would stall but an offsides penalty on Fazion Thomas on third down gave the Raiders a fresh set of downs deep in SaberCats territory.
The SaberCats held the Raiders to a field goal opportunity by Brady Wodack which was no good but a roughing the kicker penalty on Dashawn Webber again extended the Racine drive. The drive finally ended in the end zone on a one-yard run by rookie Geoffrey Mazur. The Wodack extra point was good to give Racine a 7-0 lead with 12:03 to play in the second quarter. The Raiders drive totaled 18 plays, 76 yards, and ate 13:13 off the clock.
Sheboygan County would go for it on fourth down at their own 38-yard line on the next drive and Billiot was again sacked. The Raiders took over at the SaberCats 31-yard line but two penalties led to Wodack needing to punt.
The SaberCats would take the lead on their next drive. After five straight ruses, Billiot connected with Jalonzo Jackson on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Thomas Burton was in coverage on the play and pulled up with a leg injury as Jackson stepped into the end zone. Billiot connected with Summerville on the two-point conversion to give Sheboygan County an 8-7 lead with 3:44 to play in the first half.
The lead would only last 20 seconds. Trevion Carothers would scoop up the kickoff along the SaberCats sideline at the nine-yard line, cut all the way across the field, and go 91 yards for his third specials teams touchdown return this season and his first career kickoff return for a touchdown. Wodack added the extra point and Racine would take the 14-8 lead into halftime.
The first real threat in the third quarter came from the Raiders on their second drive. The Raiders got to the SaberCats 14-yard line before Schick was sacked and Michael Hill was flagged for a false start. The Raiders settled for a 39-yard field goal attempt by Wodack which was no good.
Sheboygan County would reclaim the lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. Schick threw to the end zone but the pass was a little tardy and Brysen Roulette, son of Raiders hall of famer Rick Roulette, picked it off in the end zone and returned it to the 20-yard line. After a short run by Larry Rivers II and a dropped pass by Jackson, Billiot looked deep to Jackson and he hauled in the pass for a 55-yard gain to the Raiders 22-yard line.
Sheboygan County would get down to the Racine one-yard line. An incomplete pass and a fumbled exchange on a handoff left the SaberCats with a 3rd-and-goal from the four-yard line. Billiot would hit Summerville in the back corner of the end zone to tie the game. A two-point conversion toss to a wide open Jackson on a broken coverage by the Raiders defense gave the SaberCats a 16-14 lead with 8:19 to play in the game.
The Raiders went to the ground on their next drive as Lollis ran four straight times for 23 yards. After the fourth run, SaberCats defender Daryonn Love was flagged for hands to the face. He began arguing with the official and was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct which set the Raiders up at the SaberCats 10-yard line with a first down. Following another Lollis run, center Javier Ferrusquia was called for holding. Lollis ran the ball two more times down to the Sheboygan County five-yard line at the two minute warning. Wodack came on and nailed a 23-yard field goal to give the Raiders the 17-16 lead with 1:55 to play.
That’s when Young got the sack and Jackson had the interception to lock down the win for Racine.
The Raiders defense held Billiot to 207 yards passing with under a 60% completion percentage and sacked him five times in the game. The SaberCats managed just 59 yards on the ground and were just 3-of-10 on third down. Jordan Danowski, William Hoglund, and Young all had seven tackles in the game while Elvin Turner added six tackles.
Lollis was the star on offense with 15 carries for 80 yards and added one reception for 11 yards. D.J. McKinstry led the team with two receptions while Jashon Foster had 30 yards receiving.
The Raiders have a bye for the Independence Day holiday. They return home for a meeting against the Illinois Lions, led by former quarterback Andre Locke. July 11th is Alumni Night with the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at halftime. John Finnigan, Buck Steiniger, and Gregg Thelen will be inducted into the Racine Raiders hall of fame during the halftime ceremony.
