Habersham wins first region matchup
It was quickly apparent who the better team was Friday night at Loganville High School.
Habersham Central (2-3, 1-0 Region 8-5A) put up 35 points in the first half en route to stomping the Red Devils, 56-21.
"Our guys got off to a fast start and set the tone early," said Raiders coach Benji Harrison.
It was a fast start indeed, as the Raiders marched down the field on their first two possessions to jump out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter. By halftime, it was already 35-0.
Quarterback Paris Wilbanks didn't need to throw the ball often Friday, but when he did, it was typically for a sizable gain. The sophomore slinger finished 13-for-15 for 229 yards and 4 touchdowns.
A recurring theme through Habersham's first 4 games was the Raiders' ability to drive deep into enemy territory without being able to punch it in the endzone. Friday night, however, Habersham capitalized on all 6 trips to the redzone.
HCHS running back Donnie Warren made the most of his touches - carrying the ball 9 times for 138 yards and a score - while wide receiver Zeke Whittington caught 2 touchdown passes.
The Loganville offense finally put some points on the board in the 2nd half, but by then the game was well out of reach.
Senior tight end/linebacker Everett Rudeseal is one of the Raiders' most vocal leaders. He spoke on what it means to start region play on the right foot.
"I think our effort was great. We knew what it was going to take to get what we wanted and we made the most of it," he told The Northeast Georgian.
"It was a great overall team performance and sets us on the right track for the goals we have for region."
The Raiders are off next week before returning to action on Sept. 27th at Winder-Barrow.
Read all about the Habersham vs. Loganville game in the next midweek edition of The Northeast Georgian.