Raiders lock up second place in district and secure playoff berth with victory over Denton

The Rider Raiders football team has secured a playoff spot and are headed to the 4A division 1 playoff bracket after a 56 to 2 victory over the Denton Broncos. With the win the Raiders have locked up second place regardless of the outcome of the crosstown rivalry with Old High. The Coyotes, whose playoff chances are relatively over after a 35 to 3 loss to Denton Ryan, will be playing for pride and provide a decent test for the Raiders who will begin playoffs the following week.
“The first thing we gotta do is get ready to play Old High,” Coach James Garfield said. “We also have to get our grades taken care of.” “We’re students first.”
The Raiders will more than likely be destined to the big-school bracket. The district’s two highest populated schools that make the playoffs play in the division 1 bracket. Lewisville The Colony has a higher population than Rider but has a long shot of making the playoffs, so more than likely Denton Ryan and Rider will be the district’s division 1 representatives.
The Rider Raiders can actually find themselves in the Division 2 playoff bracket, but saying that’s a long shot is more than an understatement. For Rider to go division 2 they need The Colony to beat Denton, Little Elm to lose to Denton Ryan, and for Old High to actually beat Rider. This would force a one game playoff with Old High and The Colony with the winner advancing to the playoffs.
As for preparation for the playoffs, Garfield hasn’t really changed up his game plan. “We just need to have good practices and lots of film work,” Garfield said. “ We also need to prepare a little more mentally than physically.”
As for Raider’s opponent in their Bi-district, they’re still unknown. They will play the first place finisher from district 3-4A which is still up in the air. The Raiders could play either the Dons of Amarillo Palo Duro, the Raiders of Canyon Randall, or the Amarillo Caprock ‘Horns. Nothing is set in stone as all three teams are tied for first.
The Raiders scouted Palo Duro when they were filming for their game against Amarillo high. The Sandies defeated Palo Duro 21-0 but also beat Rider 35-7. “They’re a lot like us [Palo Duro]” Garfield said. “They like to run the Wing-T.”
If the Raider’s advance they will play the Bi-district winner between the winner’s of district 1-4A and 2-4A. This would consist of a host of El Paso teams, teams that spend almost their entire football season playing out their district schedules against other El Paso teams. No playoff opponent should ever be taken lightly, but in the Raider’s last 7 playoff appearances they have never lost to an El Paso team.
If the Rider Raiders advance to the third round of the playoffs, that’s where things will get interesting. If the both Rider and Denton Ryan find themselves still in the playoffs three weeks from now, they will also find themselves in a district title rematch. Rider will have a chance to avenge a 35-14 defeat to the Ryan Raiders who will be more than mindful of Rider’s knack to defeat teams in the playoffs that they suffered losses to in the regular season, just ask the Stephenville Yellow Jackets about that.
This is the first year that Rider has ever been in the Division 1 playoffs.
“I’ve never been head coach before so I guess I’ll find out,” Garfield said.

District 4-4A Playoff Race in High Gear

The Raiders find themselves sitting in second place in a competitive district 4-4A race only trailing the Raiders of Denton Ryan who are currently 4-0 in district.
The Raiders posses a district record of 2-1. Rider, who had a bye week this previous Friday, got some help this Friday from Little Elm and Lake Dallas who dropped Old High and Denton’s district records from 1-1 to 1-2 while the Lobos and Falcon’s improve to 2-2 in district play. This is good news to the Rider Raider’s who hold the advantage as they have beaten both Lake Dallas and Little Elm who currently hold the district’s final two playoff spots.
Rider will play host to the Cougars of Lewisville The Colony this Friday, a 33-0 loser to Denton Ryan last Friday dropping their district record to 1-3. If the Raiders win and Lake Dallas loses, it will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. Lake Dallas plays host to Old High this Friday. Old High, who is sitting at 1-2 right now, is coming off a 59-35 thumping courtesy of the Little Elm Lobo’s who have a bye this week. If Old High loses, it will more than likely eliminate their playoff hopes.
The Raiders will travel to Denton next Friday to take on the Broncos whose playoff chances will more than likely end after they take on #4 ranked Denton Ryan Raiders this Friday.
The current the district standing are Denton Ryan sitting atop at 4-0 followed by Rider in second place at 2-1. Lake Dallas and Little Elm are currently tied for the third place both sitting at 2-2. Old High and Denton are on the outside of the playoff circle looking in with 1-2 district records tied for fifth place. Finally Lewisville The Colony is at the bottom in seventh place. The top four teams make the playoffs and if both Raiders take care of business this Friday there will be five teams fighting for two playoff spots.

Rider beats #10 Kennedale 13-10

Football Starts Season

“We knew what we were up against when we scheduled to play them (Cooper),” senior Bryan Kisinger said. “We needed to set the tone, but mistakes killed us.”
The Raiders actually had the lead three times in the first half, but each time Cooper was able to retake it from the Raiders.
After Cooper scored on their second drive due to favorable field position, Connor Nutt nailed a 34-yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead 9-7, however the Cougars pulled off a 76-yard touchdown pass and just like that Cooper retook the lead 14-9. The Raiders would answer back when Malcolm Carter hooked up with Graham McGregor on a 26-yard touchdown pass to give Rider its final lead of the game. The Cougars would score one more time to preserve a 21-15 halftime lead that never really came in question for the duration of the second half. The Raiders managed to pull within 34-21 when Deron Royster scored from one-yard out, but Abilene Cooper would score one more time in the fourth to put the game away.
“We need to play as a team,” senior Devon Garvin said. “We need to practice real hard and work on our mistakes.”
The Raiders once again will be tested as they travel to Arlington to play the #10 team of 3A Kennedale Sept. 3.

Softball in regional quarterfinals

The Rider Lady Raiders started their best of three series against Mansfield Legacy with a heart crushing defeat in extra innings. The Lady Broncos advanced to the region 1-4A quarterfinals with a sweep of the Denton Ryan Lady Raiders, a team that swept the Rider girls twice this year. The Lady Raiders knew well what they were up against and gave Mansfield Legacy everything they had in a battle of talented young pitchers. Both Rider’s Abby Donnell and Legacy’s Baylee Gray didn’t allow a run in regulation, but in the bottom of the 8^th inning Legacy freshman Kolbee Gray hit an 0-1 pitch all the way to the back of the fence, rounded the bases, and avoided the relay throw home to give Legacy the walk off 1-0 victory. Sammy Hislop will take the mound and try to even the series tonight.

“The game last night was a true heartbreaker,” coach Alisha Franklin said. “The girls really played their guts out.”

Recapping the Lady Raiders playoff success they opened up the playoffs in a bi-district matchup against the Lady Hawks from Birdville. The Lady Raiders swept Birdville in two games with an impressive 10-0 run rule victory over the Lady Hawks and a 5-0 victory in Birdville in game two. Abby Donnell got the start in game one and limited the Lady Hawks to just two hits, while on the offensive end, went 4-for-4 with two singles and two doubles. In game two of the series, Sammy Hislop gave up only six hits and struck out four batters and got a bit of help on the offensive end as the Lady Raiders prevailed to the 5-0 win and the sweep of the Birdville Lady Hawks. The win set up a Region 1 4A area matchup with the Lady Cougars of Fort Worth Western Hills.

“The girls have really set the bar for softball this year,” said Franklin of her team’s performance throughout the playoffs. “They’ve played well all year.”

The Lady Raiders headed into their area matchup with the Lady Cougars with hopes of another easy two game sweep, but there was a reason why Fort Worth Western Hills were in the area round. The Lady Cougars, fresh off a sweep of Mansfield Timberview, took game 1 by a score of 5-3. The Lady Raiders were slow on the bats and fell behind before Abby Donnell hit a 3 run inside the park home run to make the score 5-3, but that would be as close as the Lady Raiders would come in game 1.

Game two the Lady Raiders bounced back and eliminated any thoughts of another sweep the Lady Cougars had in mind by taking game two by a score of 10-1. Macy Rainbolt and Lindsey Sheppard both hit multi-run home runs putting Rider up early and they never looked back as Sammy Hislop allowed just four hits while striking out 11 batters.

In a decisive game 3 with the whole season on the line Lindsey Sheppard came through on the offensive end blasting a pair of homers and a combined pitching effort from Donnell and Hislop proved to be enough to pace the Lady Raiders to the 5-3 win and advancement to the Regional quarterfinals.

“This team has real passion and the hunger to win,” Franklin said.