Raiders fall in season finale

Friday's final:

Chiles (Tallahassee) 42, Orange Park 26

Gadget plays helped the host Orange Park Raiders get
close to the Chiles Timberwolves Friday night, but a
strong running attack carried the visitors from
Tallahassee to a 42-26 win.
The Raiders (1-9) hosted the Timberwolves for each team’s final regular season game and 17
Orange Park seniors took the field for the last time in their high school careers. The Raiders came out fired up and took their opening drive 80 yards in just under four minutes for the first score of the game. The drive was highlighted by a 34-yard touchdown run
by sophomore running back C.J. Stallworth.

The Timberwolves(5-4, 2-2 D3-4A) took advantage of
possessions that started in or near Raider territory
for the next three scores, two passes and a 4-yard
run, which gave the visitors a 21-7 lead with just
under two minutes left in the first half.

A missed field goal gave the Raiders the ball back
with 20 seconds left in the half, and Orange Park
offensive coordinator, Ken Fasnacht, Jr., reached in
his bag of tricks for a little lightning.

“We practice the play on a regular basis,” said Ted
Leasor, Sr., Orange Park Head Coach. “It was just a
great play at a great time.”

The Raiders went to the hook-and-ladder play twice to finish the half. Quarterback Kam Fasnacht connected with sure-handed senior Deron Talley to start the first hook-and-ladder play. Talley caught the ball and pitched it to a streaking Kirhy Smith, who ran for 20 yards. The entire Raider offense and sideline screamed for a time out when Smith was tackled and the game was
stopped with one tenth of a second left.

That was all the Raiders needed.

Fasnacht flipped the play on the second try. Smith was the pitch man on the next play and Talley took the ball 55 yards for a touchdown to end the first half.

The Raiders were fired up when they bounced into the locker room at halftime, but they weren’t able to get closer than the seven points down they started the second half. Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter.

Scoring picked up again in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves scored on runs by Washington, 3 and 63 yards, and Ariston Thomas' 1-yard run. Fasnacht kept the Raiders close with a 3-yard touchdown run and connected with Smith on a 49-yard touchdown pass. That pass pulled the Raiders within one score of the Timberwolves, but the two-point conversion pass was tipped away and two plays later Washington streaked 63 yards for the games’ final score.

The Raiders used a balanced attack that gobbled up 213 yards on the ground and 219 yards through the air. Stallworth led the rushing attack with 135 yards on nine carries and Smith was the top receiver with 126 yards on nine catches. Fasnacht continued his Tim Tebow impersonation with 61 yards rushing and 219 yards passing, completing 15 of 30 passes with 2
interceptions.

Senior Raiders linebacker Jeremy Munn was one of the last players on the field and he just stood in the corner of the south end zone with his hands resting inside the neck of his shoulder pads staring out at the field.

“I’m going to miss this. I love the game of football,” Munn said. “I love this team. I’ve been on 1-9 teams before, but I’ve never been on a team with this much heart. They are going to be really good next year.”

Scoring Summary
Chiles 14 7 0 21- 42
OP 7 7 0 12- 26

First Quarter
OP- Stallworth 34-yard run(Wiggins kick) 0-7
CH- Ardley 11-yard pass from Frascona(Poole kick) 7-7
CH- Miller 26-yard pass from Frascona(Poole kick) 14-7
Second Quarter
CH- Bryant 4-yard run(Poole kick) 21-7
OP- Talley 55 yard pass from Smith from
Fasnacht(Wiggins kick) 21-14
Fourth Quarter
CH- Washington 3-yard run(Poole kick) 28-14
OP- Fasnacht 3-yard run(kick failed) 28-20
CH- Thomas 1-yard run(Poole kick) 35-20
OP- Smith 49-yard pass from Fasnacht(pass failed)
35-26
CH- Washington 63-yard run(Poole kick) 42-26