The great thing about covering sports is that you get to really come to know some class individuals and teams. The bad thing about covering sports is that you get attached to these individuals and their loss becomes your loss.Such was the case last Friday night when the Pleasant Valley Raiders traveled to Susan Moore for the first round of playoff action.
The Bulldogs, at 8-2, were heavy favorites over the Raiders (6-4). But fortunately, games aren’t played on paper and the Raiders quickly showed the Bulldogs that they had come to play.
When a television crew arrived at halftime, they were shocked to see the Raiders on top 10-7, and even more shocked to see them go ahead 17-7 before they lifted off in their helicopter.
I know I shouldn’t have done this but I was already looking forward to this Friday night. It had already been announced that Piedmont was beating Sardis, and I knew that round two would be played with the Raiders closer to home. I was even talking about this with people along the sidelines, who were just as excited as I was about the prospects of the Raiders winning their first playoff game.
You know the old saying, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.” I guess in my moment of elation I forgot this.
While it had appeared that the Raiders had stopped the Bulldogs from scoring in the fourth quarter with an alert interception by Ben Haynes, the play was nullified by a roughing the passer penalty and Susan Moore went on to score and cut the Raider lead to 17-14.
The Bulldogs drove again with time running down for the go ahead touchdown and played excellent defense to keep the Raiders from scoring.
Despite Friday’s loss how can you say that the Raiders, who have put together back-to-back winning seasons that led to the playoffs, went home in defeat?
Sure, they lost a heartbreaking game, but the seniors who are leaving can hold their heads high. They have brought a program that went over two years without a win to a program that has won respect.
Head Coach Jeff Davis has stuck with a program that no one thought could win, and instilled within his team the mindset that they could win. Add to that a weight program that has made his team strong, and the respect of his players, and he has found the formula for success.
The seniors leave without a playoff win, but they leave a winning tradition.
