Quick scores lead to Raiders’ romp over Panthers

Charles City running back Cecil Tyler (2) delivers a devastating stiff arm to Amelia's Kyrei Green during a first quarter run as teammate Charles Vaden (3) looks for a downfield block.

Andre' Jones photo

After a one-year hiatus, Charles City Panthers’ head coach Steward Greene returned to the helm to turnaround last season’s 1-9 campaign. Admittedly, Greene wished he could have hit the reset button after the first three minutes of the game.

Amelia County’s Richard Perry scored two touchdowns early in the first quarter as the visiting Raiders topped the hosts Panthers 35-0 in the Aug. 29 season opener for both teams.

Perry wasted little time finding the end zone for the guests, scoring on the first play from scrimmage on a quarterback keeper and racing 73 yards to the end zone. After a Panthers three-and-out, Perry, now at receiver, was the recipient of a 19-yard touchdown pass from William Green, putting Amelia up 14-0 with 8:59 in the first quarter.

Charles City settled down, playing evenly with the Raiders for the remainder of the half. After an Amelia fumble at the hosts’ 30-yard line, the Panthers orchestrated their best drive on the night.

Quarterback Troy Crawley bootlegged for 12 yards. His run was followed by runs from the backfield duo of Cecil Tyler and Jaquane Wyatt, who contributed 14 and 15 yard gains, respectively. After a Raiders’ timeout, Crawley advanced 10 more yards and was tackled late, tacking an additional 15 yards and placing the Panthers at the Raiders 11-yard line.

But the visitors’ defense rose to the occasion. A miscue on a snap and an incomplete pass led to the hosts third and long. Two Wyatt runs were not enough to convert a first down, as he fell short at the two-yard line, leading the Raiders to a 14-0 halftime lead.

Both teams played to a stalemate halfway through the third, before the Raiders took advantage of a lackluster Panthers defense. Green connected with Terrence El on a 53-yard sideline strike, giving the hosts a 21-0 lead. The duo connected for a second time on a 26-yard score with just over one minute remaining in the third, pushing the visitors’ lead to 28-0.

Charles City failed to make it past midfield for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, Green connected with Perry once again, this time on a 39-yard touchdown pass to push the final margin 35-0 for the visitors.

After the game, the Panther head coach spoke about the lackluster opening to the new season.

“They caught us leaning on our heels,” Greene said, commenting on the opening few minutes on the game. “We took it too light and we had to work hard to recover.

“After those first two scores, we had possession of the ball, running 33 plays to their 16,” he continued. “We just weren’t hungry enough to finish the drives we had when opportunities in the red zone were available to us.”

Greene also added that his team must improve on the defensive end and prevent big plays.

“We got to work on tackling,” he added. “We have to be more aggressive and attack the ball carrier and we must do it as a group and not expect the individual next to them to make the play.

Amelia– 14 0 14 7———–35
Charles City– 0 0 0 0———–0

1st Quarter
Amelia (11:44)- Perry 73 yard run (Martinez kick) 7-0
Amelia (8:59)- Perry 19 yard pass from Green (Martinez kick) 14-0
3rd Quarter
Amelia (6:17)- El 53 yard pass from Green (Martinez kick) 21-0
Amelia (1:11)- El 26 yard pass from Green (Martinez kick) 28-0
4th Quarter
Amelia (9:39)- Perry 39 yard pass from Green (Martinez kick) 35-0

Rushing (attempts/yards)
Amelia- Perry 9/113, Banks 9/68, Brown-White 9/59, Green 3/-13.
Charles City- Tyler 19/87, Wyatt 11/64, Crawley 5/14, Vaden 1/5, Jefferson 1/-2.

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
Amelia- Green 6/8/159, 4 TD; Perry 1/1/-1.
Charles City- Crawley 6/16/44, 1 int.

Receiving (receptions/yards)
Amelia- El 2/83, Perry 2/58, Banks 1/9, Worsham 1/9, Baker 1/-1.
Charles City- Hicks 1/27, Jones 3/13, Jefferson 2/4.