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Health & Fitness

Raiders Running Game Paves Way to Victory

The Racine Raiders were without regular starting quarterback Craig McClelland and wide receiver Dorian Palmer on Saturday night against the Lake Geneva Generals in Williams Bay, Wis. The running game picked up the slack and led the Raiders to a 44-29 win.

The Raiders rushed for 332 yards on 36 carries, a 9.2 yard per carry average, and four touchdowns. Running back J.R. Taylor led the way with 19 rushes for 134 yards and a touchdown. Dom Kegel, filling in for McClelland at quarterback, had several electrifying runs en route to 133 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns. Kegel also passed for one touchdown in the game.

The Raiders moved backwards on their first drive of the game, losing 26 yards due mainly to a holding penalty and a sack. The Generals started their first drive in Raiders territory but Sir G Albrittin's second pass attempt of the game was intercepted by Raiders linebacker Nate Harris. Harris has now recorded an interception in three of the last four games, dating back to the 2010 Semi-Pro BCS national championship game in November.

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The Raiders marched down the field. On fourth-and-one at the Generals 23-yard line, Kegel took the snap and moved the pile forward for five yards but his helmet came off. On the next play, Taylor, playing quarterback, took the snap and ran for a touchdown but the play was called back on a holding penalty on fullback Marcus Baskin.

With Kegel back in the game, Taylor punched out a two-yard run before Kegel ran the ball in from 23 yards out for the first score. The DaPra extra point was good and the Raiders led 7-0 with 5:26 to play in the first quarter. The drive went 60 yards on 10 plays and took 6:15.

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The Generals marched the ball into Raiders territory on the ensuing drive but stalled at the Raiders 45-yard line. Mike O'Brien punted the ball to Damonshay Pitt and Pitt broke several tackles, returning the punt 62 yards to the Lake Geneva 25-yard line.

The Raiders gave the ball to Taylor on three straight plays and Taylor eventually reached the ball across the goal line on a seven-yard run. The DaPra kick was deflected at the line but went through to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead with 12 minutes to play in the first half.

DaPra booted the kickoff high in the air and while several Generals watched the ball hit the ground without trying to grab it, Ross Toeller was able to pick it up for the Raiders, setting Racine up with the ball at the Lake Geneva 35-yard line.

On the second play of the drive, Kegel, under pressure, rolled out to his right and found tight end Traves Worthington wide open for a touchdown. It was Worthington's third catch of the season and his third touchdown. The DaPra kick was good and the Raiders led 21-0 with 11:14 to play in the first half. 

Lake Geneva answered on their next drive, going 77 yards on 11 plays in 7:45. Albrittin hit Scott Torkelson on a one-yard pass and the Raiders lead was cut to 21-7 with 3:24 to play in the half.

The Raiders responded right back as Kegel led the Raiders 86 yards on just seven plays, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown run by Kegel and the Raiders would take a 28-7 lead into halftime.

The Generals came roaring back in the second half, outscoring the Raiders 14-3 in the third quarter, and trailing by just ten points heading into the final quarter. The third quarter marked the first time this season that the Raiders were outscored in a quarter.

The Raiders slammed the door in the fourth quarter. Kegel had a 49-yard touchdown run and Torie Ruffin intercepted an Albrittin pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown to give Racine a 44-21 lead midway through the final quarter.

The Generals would score one more time with under two minutes to play and complete the two-point conversion but they had no time  outs remaining and couldn't recover an onside kick, giving the Raiders the 44-29 win.

The Raiders extended their winning streak to 18 games and improved to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Mid-States Football League (MSFL). The Generals lost their fifth straight game dating back to 2012 and fell to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the MSFL.

The Raiders have a division bye next week. The next game for Racine is Saturday, August 3, 2013, against the Milwaukee Venom (1-3, 0-1 MSFL) at Stephen J. Gavinski Stadium on the Greendale High School campus in Greendale, Wis. The game begins at 7 p.m. CT. 

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