The rivalry between Atlee and Hanover have seen some memorable games over the last few years but tonight’s game was one of those that won’t be soon forgotten by those who played in it as well as those who witnessed it.
It began with a lot of promise for the Hawks who started the night from their own 21-yard line and marched 79 yards for a Marcus Bazala touchdown, the first of five for Bazala on this night. That promising start met with some resistance early on as the Hawks would fumble the ball on their second possession of the night with Marrix Hart coming up with the loose ball and in one play the Raiders were on the board. Rasharrd Harris hit Justin Hall with a 26-yard touchdown pass to draw the Raiders closer but rather than counter the two-point conversion, the Raiders settled for a Ratke PAT but the PAT was no good and they trailed early, 6-8. The Hawks began their third driver of the night at the 20 but had no problems taking it 80-yards for another touchdown as the Hawks Bazala punched it in from 16 yards out on this touchdown and it wouldn’t be long before the Hawks had the ball again. Atlee had the ball at their own 35 and on the first play they fumbled the ball and Tabb Patrick jumped on it giving it right back to Hanover. What does Hanover do with this possession? Score again they would however this time they would settle for a field goal from John Dustin from 27-yards out after being unable to convert. While they couldn’t get it in this time, after holding the Raiders to 3 and out, the Hawks got the ball back and four plays later there they were again, in the endzone and heading into halftime with a 25-6 lead…
I would love to have been in the locker room of the Raiders to hear what was said because in the second half, as we all know, the Raiders were a different team. Should we have been surprised however? The Raiders had four possessions in the first half and two of them were 3 and outs, 1 was a score and the other a turnover. So while the score indicated domination and so did the stats, the truth is the Raiders weren’t so far away, all it would take is a spark.
A spark is certainly what the Raiders provided in the opening of the second half. Rasharrd Harris hit JJ Givens with a 67-yard pass that Givens took to the house at the 11:41 mark. With a PAT from Ethan Ratke, the Hawks still had the lead but it was trimmed to 25-13. The Raiders held the Hawks and kept them out of the endzone, something that was next to impossible in the first half and a horrible punt benefitted the Raiders who scored in three plays with Zollar finding the endzone this time from one yard out. Bazala nearly had a touchdown in the air when he threw a 76-yard bomb that came up just a yard short of a touchdown but what he couldn’t do in the air, he did on the ground and with a two-point conversion the Hawks stretched their lead to 33-20. Just when you thought the Hawks were going to get control of this one back the Raiders answered back as Atlee just had an answer to everything in the second half.
Clifton Woody took the kickoff from Hanover after the Hawks score 82-yards for a touchdown that made it a 33-27 lead for the Hawks but Atlee wasn’t going away. The Hawks fumbled the ball on their next possession and their loss was Atlee and Jake Benson’s gain. Atlee however could not reach the endzone and settled for a 41-yard field goal from Ethan Ratke to draw the Raiders within three. Those of us in attendance were now watching a shootout between these two rivals. With 1:22 to go in the third quarter Atlee went on top for the first time with another Zollar touchdown after the Hawks had been held to three and out. The Raiders were now nursing a 37-33 lead but just as Atlee had fought back in the second half, the Hawks were now fighting back to preserve the win and a game they had won 25-6 at the half.
With 9:08 to go in the game the Hawks scored on another touchdown run from Marcus Bazala. The Hawks had a 40-37 lead and needed the defense to step up and stop the Raiders offense, something they had been unable to do in the second half. The defense wouldn’t have the chance. The Hawks would kick the onside kick and touched it before it traveled the 10 yards needed to do so. So instead of having a recovered onside kick, the Hawks had given the Raiders the ball at the 49 yard line. Zollar did his thing on the ground with a big run of 35-yards and then a couple of small runs that ultimately saw him in the endzone yet again and for the last time on this night.
With the PAT, the Raiders had a 44-40 lead with 7:33 to go. Amazing to think the Hawks had a 25-6 lead at halftime and in a little over 16 minutes the Raiders had scored 38 points! The defense of Hanover was no match for the Raiders offense in the second half. Penalties became problematic for the Hawks stalling any progress the Hawks made with the ball and while Atlee did have the ball one more time, they were unable to do anything with it giving Hanover one last opportunity to take this game back, it wasn’t meant to be. Penalties hurt Hanover and forced them into a 4th & 21 and no other option but to go to the air and Bazala put it in the air and Hawks players tried to get their hands on it but up in the air it went bouncing off their hands, fingers and descending to the ground. Insert JJ Givens who dives in and scoops up the ball before it hits the ground sealing the victory for the Raiders!
The Raiders had been down 6-25 at halftime but came back to outscore the Hawks 38-15 in the second half. The game was fun to witness, hard to believe and for the Hawks and their fans, a game they would like to forget.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter-
4:58- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, two-point conversion; Hanover 8-0.
2:18- Justin Hall 26-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT no good; Hanover 7-6.
2nd Quarter-
7:18- Marcus Bazala 16-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 15-6.
4:58- John Dustin 27-yard field goal; Hanover 18-6.
1:29- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 25-6
3rd Quarter-
11:41- JJ Givens 67-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT good; Hanover 25-13.
8:13- JJ Givens 37-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT good; Hanover 25-20.
7:11- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, two-point conversion; Hanover 33-20.
6:57- Clifton Woody 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, PAT good; Hanover 33-27.
4:34- Ethan Ratke 41-yard field goal; Hanover 33-30.
1:22- AJ Zollar 15-yard touchdown run, PAT good; 37-33 Atlee.
4th Quarter-
9:08- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 40-37.
7:42- AJ Zollar 3-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Atlee 44-40.
KEYS TO VICTORY
There might be no bigger key to the victory the Raiders took tonight from Hanover than second half adjustment. The Raiders went into halftime down 25-6, usually teams don’t come back from that. Not these Raiders, they came back and on that first drive of the second half the Raiders delivered with an offensive attack. Whereas the defense of the Hawks were able to keep them down in the first half, that wasn’t the case in the second half where the offense for Atlee came to life with a balanced attack. The air and ground game both for Atlee was too much in the second half as they attacked on every possession and they were quick to attack, making plays rapidly and the Hawks defense had no answer for them in the second half.
On a wet night, balls become slick, field conditions are not ideal and accidents happen. The Hawks fumbled the ball twice, once in the first half that went on to see the Raiders score and again in the second half. To makes matter worse, the most crushing turnover came with 1:39 to go and the Hawks with one last chance to get down the field and score. Bazala had to get the ball down the field quickly and he saw his man, threw it only to bounce up in the air and start to go to the ground where JJ Givens dove to intercept the ball and seal the Hawks fate.
With the game still very much in the air the Hawks performed an onside kick which the Hawks sideline and coaches argued went ten yards but the refs did not agree. If the ruling had gone in the favor of the Hawks, Hanover would have had the ball back and able to build on their lead. As was the case however, Atlee had the ball and made quick work scoring a touchdown four plays later to put the Raiders on top for good.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
As he has done for the past two games, Marcus Bazala did all he could to put his Hawks in a position to win. Much of Bazala’s damage came within the first half but nonetheless, it was another big night for the running back turned quarterback. In the air, he threw for over a 100 yards but no touchdowns completing just 5 of his 11 passes. On the ground is where he is the most dangerous and that was particularly true tonight with 5 touchdowns on the ground with 239 yards chewed up. Another great game from the Hawk.
A case could be made for several Raiders but it was AJ Zollar who ran for over 100 yards in the game carrying the ball 16 times and scoring 3 touchdowns in the process including the game winning score. Not only did Zollar score big but the Atlee run game was on point in the second half and helped balance the offense and keep the Hawks defense busy all night.
EXTRA POINTS
Atlee has won three straight in series for the first time in the series.
Coach Stoudt of Hanover has never beaten Atlee as head coach.
Atlee’s 44 points is the most scored against Hanover in series.
It began with a lot of promise for the Hawks who started the night from their own 21-yard line and marched 79 yards for a Marcus Bazala touchdown, the first of five for Bazala on this night. That promising start met with some resistance early on as the Hawks would fumble the ball on their second possession of the night with Marrix Hart coming up with the loose ball and in one play the Raiders were on the board. Rasharrd Harris hit Justin Hall with a 26-yard touchdown pass to draw the Raiders closer but rather than counter the two-point conversion, the Raiders settled for a Ratke PAT but the PAT was no good and they trailed early, 6-8. The Hawks began their third driver of the night at the 20 but had no problems taking it 80-yards for another touchdown as the Hawks Bazala punched it in from 16 yards out on this touchdown and it wouldn’t be long before the Hawks had the ball again. Atlee had the ball at their own 35 and on the first play they fumbled the ball and Tabb Patrick jumped on it giving it right back to Hanover. What does Hanover do with this possession? Score again they would however this time they would settle for a field goal from John Dustin from 27-yards out after being unable to convert. While they couldn’t get it in this time, after holding the Raiders to 3 and out, the Hawks got the ball back and four plays later there they were again, in the endzone and heading into halftime with a 25-6 lead…
I would love to have been in the locker room of the Raiders to hear what was said because in the second half, as we all know, the Raiders were a different team. Should we have been surprised however? The Raiders had four possessions in the first half and two of them were 3 and outs, 1 was a score and the other a turnover. So while the score indicated domination and so did the stats, the truth is the Raiders weren’t so far away, all it would take is a spark.
A spark is certainly what the Raiders provided in the opening of the second half. Rasharrd Harris hit JJ Givens with a 67-yard pass that Givens took to the house at the 11:41 mark. With a PAT from Ethan Ratke, the Hawks still had the lead but it was trimmed to 25-13. The Raiders held the Hawks and kept them out of the endzone, something that was next to impossible in the first half and a horrible punt benefitted the Raiders who scored in three plays with Zollar finding the endzone this time from one yard out. Bazala nearly had a touchdown in the air when he threw a 76-yard bomb that came up just a yard short of a touchdown but what he couldn’t do in the air, he did on the ground and with a two-point conversion the Hawks stretched their lead to 33-20. Just when you thought the Hawks were going to get control of this one back the Raiders answered back as Atlee just had an answer to everything in the second half.
Clifton Woody took the kickoff from Hanover after the Hawks score 82-yards for a touchdown that made it a 33-27 lead for the Hawks but Atlee wasn’t going away. The Hawks fumbled the ball on their next possession and their loss was Atlee and Jake Benson’s gain. Atlee however could not reach the endzone and settled for a 41-yard field goal from Ethan Ratke to draw the Raiders within three. Those of us in attendance were now watching a shootout between these two rivals. With 1:22 to go in the third quarter Atlee went on top for the first time with another Zollar touchdown after the Hawks had been held to three and out. The Raiders were now nursing a 37-33 lead but just as Atlee had fought back in the second half, the Hawks were now fighting back to preserve the win and a game they had won 25-6 at the half.
With 9:08 to go in the game the Hawks scored on another touchdown run from Marcus Bazala. The Hawks had a 40-37 lead and needed the defense to step up and stop the Raiders offense, something they had been unable to do in the second half. The defense wouldn’t have the chance. The Hawks would kick the onside kick and touched it before it traveled the 10 yards needed to do so. So instead of having a recovered onside kick, the Hawks had given the Raiders the ball at the 49 yard line. Zollar did his thing on the ground with a big run of 35-yards and then a couple of small runs that ultimately saw him in the endzone yet again and for the last time on this night.
With the PAT, the Raiders had a 44-40 lead with 7:33 to go. Amazing to think the Hawks had a 25-6 lead at halftime and in a little over 16 minutes the Raiders had scored 38 points! The defense of Hanover was no match for the Raiders offense in the second half. Penalties became problematic for the Hawks stalling any progress the Hawks made with the ball and while Atlee did have the ball one more time, they were unable to do anything with it giving Hanover one last opportunity to take this game back, it wasn’t meant to be. Penalties hurt Hanover and forced them into a 4th & 21 and no other option but to go to the air and Bazala put it in the air and Hawks players tried to get their hands on it but up in the air it went bouncing off their hands, fingers and descending to the ground. Insert JJ Givens who dives in and scoops up the ball before it hits the ground sealing the victory for the Raiders!
The Raiders had been down 6-25 at halftime but came back to outscore the Hawks 38-15 in the second half. The game was fun to witness, hard to believe and for the Hawks and their fans, a game they would like to forget.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter-
4:58- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, two-point conversion; Hanover 8-0.
2:18- Justin Hall 26-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT no good; Hanover 7-6.
2nd Quarter-
7:18- Marcus Bazala 16-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 15-6.
4:58- John Dustin 27-yard field goal; Hanover 18-6.
1:29- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 25-6
3rd Quarter-
11:41- JJ Givens 67-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT good; Hanover 25-13.
8:13- JJ Givens 37-yard touchdown pass from Rasharrd Harris, PAT good; Hanover 25-20.
7:11- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, two-point conversion; Hanover 33-20.
6:57- Clifton Woody 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, PAT good; Hanover 33-27.
4:34- Ethan Ratke 41-yard field goal; Hanover 33-30.
1:22- AJ Zollar 15-yard touchdown run, PAT good; 37-33 Atlee.
4th Quarter-
9:08- Marcus Bazala 1-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Hanover 40-37.
7:42- AJ Zollar 3-yard touchdown run, PAT good; Atlee 44-40.
KEYS TO VICTORY
There might be no bigger key to the victory the Raiders took tonight from Hanover than second half adjustment. The Raiders went into halftime down 25-6, usually teams don’t come back from that. Not these Raiders, they came back and on that first drive of the second half the Raiders delivered with an offensive attack. Whereas the defense of the Hawks were able to keep them down in the first half, that wasn’t the case in the second half where the offense for Atlee came to life with a balanced attack. The air and ground game both for Atlee was too much in the second half as they attacked on every possession and they were quick to attack, making plays rapidly and the Hawks defense had no answer for them in the second half.
On a wet night, balls become slick, field conditions are not ideal and accidents happen. The Hawks fumbled the ball twice, once in the first half that went on to see the Raiders score and again in the second half. To makes matter worse, the most crushing turnover came with 1:39 to go and the Hawks with one last chance to get down the field and score. Bazala had to get the ball down the field quickly and he saw his man, threw it only to bounce up in the air and start to go to the ground where JJ Givens dove to intercept the ball and seal the Hawks fate.
With the game still very much in the air the Hawks performed an onside kick which the Hawks sideline and coaches argued went ten yards but the refs did not agree. If the ruling had gone in the favor of the Hawks, Hanover would have had the ball back and able to build on their lead. As was the case however, Atlee had the ball and made quick work scoring a touchdown four plays later to put the Raiders on top for good.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
As he has done for the past two games, Marcus Bazala did all he could to put his Hawks in a position to win. Much of Bazala’s damage came within the first half but nonetheless, it was another big night for the running back turned quarterback. In the air, he threw for over a 100 yards but no touchdowns completing just 5 of his 11 passes. On the ground is where he is the most dangerous and that was particularly true tonight with 5 touchdowns on the ground with 239 yards chewed up. Another great game from the Hawk.
A case could be made for several Raiders but it was AJ Zollar who ran for over 100 yards in the game carrying the ball 16 times and scoring 3 touchdowns in the process including the game winning score. Not only did Zollar score big but the Atlee run game was on point in the second half and helped balance the offense and keep the Hawks defense busy all night.
EXTRA POINTS
Atlee has won three straight in series for the first time in the series.
Coach Stoudt of Hanover has never beaten Atlee as head coach.
Atlee’s 44 points is the most scored against Hanover in series.
