Raiders defense makes it happen in winning region & home opener:
WKUL FM Game of the Week - Week 3:
GOOD HOPE: Two games into the 2024 AHSAA football season, the Good Hope Raiders are winning by one fashion, their defense.
Good Hope opened the 4A, Region 5 season Friday at James Shabel Stadium and squeezed out a 7 to 6 victory over the Fultondale Wildcats in the WKUL FM (92.1) Game of the Week.
The Raider defense forced Fultondale into two turnovers in the 1st half. That kept the Wildcats from getting on top first as the battle was scoreless at halftime.
Good Hope drove from its 40 to the Fultondale 20 when they missed a 37 yard field goal that hit the left upright late in the first.
A fumble that was recovered by Mason Drake late in the first set the Raiders up from the Fultondale 35. An interception of a Tyler Cone pass killed the series with the Wildcats taking over at their 23.
They would use four runs of double digit status to get the back close to the Good Hope end zone. A backwards pass was recovered by the Raiders at the Good Hope 23 with 1:02 left in the period.
The game was scoreless through halftime as Fultondale had 121 yards offense, 100 in the 2nd and the Raiders 71, 38 on the run and 33 by the air.
Good Hope started the 2nd half with the ball then punted. Fultondale fumbled and the Raiders had it at the Fultondale 30.
A 15 yard TD pass from Cone to Landon Bagwell broke the scoreless game. The extra point from Robert Rodriguez made it 7 to 0 with less than 9:00 to go in the stanza.
Fultondale was able to put together a scoring drive as it ended on a 3 yard run by QB Champion Rogers. The conversion was no good and the Raiders held the lead at 7 to 6.
The Raiders stood strong on both sides of the ball in the 4th. Late in the game, a 29 yard run by Cone moved it to the Wildcats 13. The Raiders would get it to the three in forcing Fultondale to use its time outs.
The Raiders ran out the clock and avenged a 35 to 7 loss to the Wildcats from last season.
In eight quarters, Alan Scott's Raiders have allowed one TD and one FG.
They are currently the top defensive team in county football through two games in the 2024 schedule.
Good Hope has its road opener in Region 5 next week at Haleyville.
Photo of the Good Hope Lady Raiders with their state basketball championship rings at halftime of Friday's football game between Good Hope and Fultondale from James Shabel Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Good Hope High School.
