Tripp Westbrook heaves a pass toward the end zone during the second half of Thursday’s game.
                                 Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent

Tripp Westbrook heaves a pass toward the end zone during the second half of Thursday’s game.

Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent

<p>Cody Ammons gets dragged down from behind by a Red Springs defender.</p>
                                 <p>Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent</p>

Cody Ammons gets dragged down from behind by a Red Springs defender.

Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent

<p>Trey Gregory scores the first touchdown of the game on a 26-yard catch and run.</p>
                                 <p>Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent</p>

Trey Gregory scores the first touchdown of the game on a 26-yard catch and run.

Daron Barefoot|Sampson Independent

Homecoming at Midway High School hit a little differently this 2022 season, but all in all, things went fairly well for the Raiders. Moved up to Thursday night because of Hurricane Ian, and under cloudy skies and gusty wind, fans still filled the stands as Midway hosted Red Springs in Southeastern Athletic Conference play. This game can be defined as a tale of two halves as the Raiders ran away from the Red Devils in the second half, getting a 59-14 mercy-rule win over the visitors.

With Red Springs winning the pregame coin toss, the Red Devils opted to defer, putting Midway’s offense on the field first for the game’s first possession. After a short kick, the Raiders offense took the field at the Red Springs 48-yard line. After going backwards on the first couple of plays, Midway’s offense picked up the intensity and began moving the ball well. A pair of back-to-back plays set the Raiders up at the Red Springs 26-yard line where Tripp Westbrook hit Trey Gregory on a through pass up the middle. Gregory then put his legs to work, bobbing and weaving through traffic all 26 yards for the score. Gregory also converted the two point try and with 9:26 on the clock in the first quarter, Midway led 8-0.

On Red Springs’ ensuing possession, the Red Devils took over on their own 22-yard line and went to work. Utilizing an effective option-offense, Red Springs gashed the Raiders defense for big chunks at a time. Their drive got deep into Midway territory where it appeared that things had stalled out after an incomplete pass on fourth down. A roughing the passer penalty, however, gave Red Springs a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Tyvon Locklear burst through the Midway defense for the score, putting the Red Devils on the board. After back-to-back delay of game penalties, the two point try failed, leaving the score at 8-6 with 3:20 left in the first quarter.

Midway’s next possession began at their own 36-yard line but the result of this drive would be the same as the first. After driving down to the Red Springs 36-yard line, Westbrook hit Jamir McCrae on a beautiful pass down the left side. McCrae beat the defender and the pass dropped right in the breadbasket and the wide out took it to the house for six more. This time, the two point try was no good and the score was 14-6 with 1:31 left in the first quarter.

Disaster hit the Red Devils on the ensuing possession. After a powerful kickoff that resulted in a touchback, they went three-and-out and were forced to punt the ball away. The punt, however, hit the back of one of the Red Devils linemen and deflected right back to the punter, who scooped the ball up and was immediately tackled, giving the Raiders possession inside the Red Springs 10-yard line. The Westbrook-McCrae duo struck again, this time from five yards out, boosting Midway’s lead. Gregory converted the two point conversion attempt and with 10:32 on the clock in the second quarter, the Raiders led 22-6.

The Red Devils took the next possession from their own 42-yard line all the way down to Midway’s 11-yard line. Poised to generate another touchdown and make things interesting again, Red Springs suffered a minor setback. Two, actually. Back-to-back penalties pushed the Red Devils back outside of the 20-yard line and they were never able to recover. After failing to convert on fourth, Red Springs turned it over downs at the 20-yard line, where Midway took over.

It took just one play for the Raiders to strike. For the third straight time, Westbrook and McCrae hooked up, this time on a pass to the flat route on the left. McCrae broke a numerous tackles in traffic before breaking through the defense, He sprinted down the field, 80-yards, to secure another score for the Raiders. The two point try was again successful and Midway lead 30-6 with 4:48 left before the half.

With time running out in the half, Red Springs was able to get one final touchdown and 2-point conversion, making the halftime score 30-14.

It was all Midway, though, after the Homecoming festivities. Red Springs was slated to get to the ball first, but the Raiders had other plans. They attempted – and successfully pulled off – an onside kick, putting their offense on the field instead at the Red Devils 47-yard line. Moving the ball quickly, and benefiting from a 15-yard personal foul call against Red Springs, it took Midway less than a minute to re-extend their lead. This time, it was Casey Culbreth that Westbrook hooked up with on a 7-yard pass in the end zone. The two point try was no good this time but with 11:19 on the clock in quarter number three, Midway led 36-14.

Set for the kickoff, Red Springs was anxiously looking to make something happen…only, what occurred was another successful onside kick from the Raiders. Hunter Tyndall grabbed this one and the Raider offense was sent back on the field again at the Red Devils 45-yard line. This drive took a little longer but the result was the same. Westbrook connected with Culbreth again, from the 13-yard line, and the two point conversion was successful from Westbrook to Kendrick Tyndall, making it 44-14 with 9:20 left in the third quarter.

They say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice but you’d have a hard time convincing Red Springs of that. For the third kick off in a row, the Raiders recovered a loose ball, keeping the Red Devils offense off the field.

Midway head coach Kyle Stevens had this to say about the third kickoff-recovery: “The last one was actually supposed to go out of bounds but the wind blew it back in. I can’t tell the guys not to cover the kick,” he laughed.

Regardless, it worked out for the Raiders as they pounced on the loose ball and was back on the field again at the Red Springs 36-yard line. Cody Ammons finished off this drive, scampering in from 17 yards out for another score. Gregory came on and converted the 2-point try, making it 52-14 with 9:05 left in the third.

Midway finally let the Red Springs offense participate on the ensuing kickoff as this one went downfield, putting Red Devils in possession on their own 25-yard line. Nothing came from it, however, and the Raiders offense was back out on the field. Ammons got his name called one more time, carrying the ball in for one final score from 20 yards out. Midway added the one point PAT and with 55.9 seconds left in the third, the Raiders lead 59-14.

With the non-stop clock now in effect, the fourth quarter zipped right on by as the clock hit all zeros on a Midway 59-14 victory.

“Jamir has really come on strong,” Stevens said, complimenting tonight’s key performers for the Raiders. “He had the dropsies at the beginning of the season but just in the past couple weeks he’s gotten five or six touchdowns in the last two weeks. He’s really playing well.”

As the season rolls along, different playmakers seem to be emerging for the Raiders, which will be critical in key matchups against St. Pauls and Clinton upcoming.

“Two real big games coming up. Tripp is throwing the ball really well. He hasn’t thrown any interceptions since becoming the starting quarterback. Jamir is coming on strong, Casey since being moved from quarterback to wide receiver has done well. Weapons are starting to come online and Trey is making plays all over the field, playing a little running back, a little receiver. Cody is a sophomore, playing a little varsity action, he’s been stepping up as well.”

With the win, Midway is now 5-2 overall and 3-0 in conference play. They hit the road to St. Pauls next week, where a big – and likely tough – game awaits. The game starts at 7 p.m.

Reach Anthony McConnaughey at [email protected]