WEST POINT — Chris Craven isn’t going to allow a few injuries to ruin a season.
Granted, the injuries the Oak Hill Academy football team suffered prior to and during its game last week against Heritage Academy have left it with even fewer numbers entering its game at 7 tonight against West Memphis Christian.
Craven said junior quarterback Ken Dill suffered a fractured fibula and is in a cast. He said Dill could return later in the season. Craven also said senior running back Drew Riley is questionable for tonight’s game, while senior Kaleb Darnell, the team’s backup quarterback, is still healing from a quad injury. He hopes Darnell could be back next week. Freshman kicker Grayson Easterling is out with a knee injury.
All of the injuries might cause players to drop their heads and lose hope, but Craven said the Raiders (2-1) are going to take motivation from passages from the Book of Romans and “rejoice in their afflictions” because they know they still have a long road ahead of them. Oak Hill Academy has games against Marshall Academy and Winona Christian to play before it faces Columbus Christian in its Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A-AA District 2 opener on Oct. 2.
“I want them to understand that just because bad things happen in life, all is not lost, the season is not lost,” Craven said. “We still have good players on our team. We are still are a good ballclub. We still have goals we want to achieve. We still believe we are a playoff team.”
Craven said Oak Hill Academy has to re-focus after a 10-0 loss to Heritage Academy last week in which it didn’t have a first down. The Raiders had issues with the center-quarterback exchange all night and were credited with eight fumbles. Craven admitted after the game that the Raiders had to go with a scaled down playbook due to those issues with sophomore quarterback John Carver Middleton in the game and playing under center rather than out of the pistol, which is three to four steps behind center. He hopes a week of practice with Middleton and seniors Chance Wilson and Heath Ford under center will help the team settle down and get back on track.
Craven said he wanted to work Ford and Wilson, who play wide receiver and in the secondary, to give the Raiders more options on offense. He isn’t sure which quarterbacks will play in which situations, but he likes the options the team has with multiple players in that position. He said the center-quarterback exchange with junior Cody Pearson is looking a lot better after a repetition in practice.
“I am not saying we are going to a two- or three-quarterback system, but in our situation there may be things we do that one may be better than the other,” Craven said. “We don’t want to make ourselves predictable based on who we stick in the game, but, at the same time, anybody can hand the ball off to Collins Brown, Macon McBrayer, or Drew Riley. That is enough to keep it honest. We’re still feeling the situation out, but I have a lot of confidence in the fact we are going to be able to put someone in and we are going to be able to run our system.”
Craven said he considered revising the playbook to incorporate more under-center calls, but he said he likes his quarterbacks having a little separation from the line of scrimmage. He feels adding Ford and Wilson to the mix at quarterback gives the Raiders different looks that should be able to keep the Raiders moving.
Craven also feels Ford, Wilson, and the rest of the seniors will keep the Raiders focused. He said the seniors have been more vocal this season and they reinforced that mind-set Monday at practice. He said Wilson set the tone after seeing the Raiders run a series of play well and without mistakes and saying, “We’re back in business.” Craven said the senior leaders have brought that mentality to practice this week in an effort to make everyone believe the team can overcome the injuries.
“Chance Wilson is one of the best team players I have ever had,” Craven said. “He is not a limelight guy. He is not worried about if someone writes his name in the paper, or if he is recognized for this or that because he is a true team player who is willing to do whatever the team needs him to do. … It really didn’t surprise me (that Chance spoke up) because he is one of the ones who has been leading. … The quiet, less-spoken (player) leads tremendously by what he does, and when that person speaks up, everybody stops to listen. I was proud of him for doing that.”
Softball
n Heritage Academy 13, Central Academy 0: At Macon, Kaitlyn Oswalt and Tyler Rhett hit home runs Thursday to lead the Patriots (14-5) to their five-inning victory.
Oswalt earned the victory, allowing one hit and one walk. She struck out 11. She also went 4-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and four RBIs on the grand slam.
Rhett had two hits and five RBIs, while Brooklyn Waldrep had a double, three runs scored, and an RBI. Macy Nordquist had two doubles and two RBIs, Macy Walters scored three runs, Sara Kate Thompson and Kaitlyn Hocutt scored runs, Blair Madison had a hit, and Madison Tipton had a hit and scored two runs.
Savanah Stapleton had the only hit for Central Academy. Courtney Gaylord started and allowed six hits and four earned runs in three innings. She walked one and struck out four. Allie Beth Rigdon pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed one earned run on four hits.
Volleyball
n Caledonia 3, Pontotoc 2: the Lady Confederates rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win their district match.
Cassie Obman had 13 kills, six blocks, and 41 digs to help Caledonia improve to 6-2 and 3-0 in the district.
Claudia Garcia had 17 digs, Kaylee Jernigan had 29 digs, Haley McMurphey had nine kills, seven blocks, and 41 digs, and Jensen Reed had 19 digs, 17 assists, and three aces.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.