Raleigh's quarterback Jay Jones took the snap under center with twelve seconds remaining in the first half and heaved it 34 yards towards the end zone to a wide-open Margo Perkins. The touchdown didn't award Raleigh the lead, but what it did accomplished was far more crucial.
The momentum it created carried on into the second half.
"We went into halftime, and Coach Smith made some adjustments," said Raleigh head coach Ryan Higdon. "We were getting blown off the ball up front. We were just reaching and grabbing and not putting pads on anyone. But our kids starting grinding it out in the second half and made plays.
"At halftime, there was no blood, guts, and glory speech. We told our guys to be more physical and more intense. And that's what these guys did."
Trailing by one, 13-12, to start the third quarter, Raleigh pitched a shutout defensively and scored two offensive touchdowns to beat 3A’s defending state champs Jefferson Davis 26-13 in Friday night’s first round of the MHSAA playoffs.
All week was a sway of emotions for the former Jefferson Davis assistant to Lance Mancuso - now Raleigh head coach.
“It was a ton of emotion,” said Higdon, now in his first year as Raleigh’s head coach. “I’ll be honest with you. I couldn’t enjoy the win over Velma Jackson last week to win the district because I knew we would have to play Jefferson Davis.
"I knew coming into tonight's game that it would be like a third-round South State atmosphere. Coach Mancuso has a great program over there. This week has been up and down for me. Going out and competing against them carried a lot of emotion. Coach Mancuso is my mentor, and he means the world to me."
Raleigh started Friday night with fireworks. Margo Perkins opened the game with a 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
“Margo is electric for us,” said Higdon. “He does so many things. He returns kicks and punts. Offense, defense, he does it all. He’s a dynamic player.
"Margo allows me to do a lot. Coming in as a first-year head coach, him and his brother, Suntarine "Get" Perkins, allow me to do more than I would typically be able to do, especially dealing with the pandemic. We're further advanced on offense than I thought we would be in our first year together."
Perkins put Raleigh in front 18-13 with minutes left in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass to junior Jay Jones. Brother Suntarine Perkins ran the ball in for a two-point conversion.
“That was huge,” Ryan Higdon added. “Jeff Davis had a chance to put another score on the board [earlier in the third] and start putting down the gas. That could have easily put us away, but our guys kept fighting.”
Midway through the final twelve minutes, on a third and 20 from Jefferson Davis’ 33-yard line, Jones connected with Ladarrius Keyes, who was wide open near the goal line. Keyes trotted across the goal line to deliver the dagger into Jefferson Davis’ hopes of an easy comeback.
Raleigh outgained Jefferson Davis in total yards, 250-239. The majority of Raleigh’s yards came through the air. Jones finished with 148 yards on just four completions.
What’s Next:
Raleigh faces Forest in round two of the Class 3A playoffs next Friday night. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Forest.
