Shaw jumps back into region race with win over Columbus
Shaw muddied the waters a great deal for the teams in Region 1-AAAAA on Friday at Kinnett Stadium.
The Raiders used a strong running game to surprise Columbus 34-24.
Sydarrian Cobb led the way with 239 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns as the Raiders rushed for 379 yards overall.
The Raiders moved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the region, while Columbus dropped to 5-2 on the season and 1-2 in region play.
"We made it a goal this week and challenged our offensive line and told them we had to run the football in this game," Shaw coach Charles Stamey said.
"We also had a goal of getting rid of a lot of our senseless penalties and we did not accomplish that, but I told them if we run the football well, we win. And we did that. I was proud of them for getting the job done. Columbus is a dang good football team with a lot of talent and this is a really good win for us. We are still fighting in the region and we can determine our own destiny."
Shaw got the first score, taking its first possession and covering 65 yards in just seven plays.
Cobb did most of the work on the drive, carrying the ball on four of the seven plays, including a 25-yard scamper to get the score. Giovanni Galvin's extra point kick was wide, giving the Raiders a 6-0 lead with 6:32 left in the opening period.
Columbus got on the board early in the second quarter after driving from its 26 to the Shaw 16. Ryan Anderson came on and poked a 33-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 6-3 at the 8-minute mark of the second quarter.
Shaw extended its lead less than three minutes later. B.J. Knight hit Da'Keen Diaz on a crossing route and he ran untouched for a 44-yard touchdown. Cobb ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-3 with 5:37 left in the half.
That is when things really got interesting.
Columbus answered quickly, getting a touchdown just a little over a minute later. After Derrick James hooked up with Essang Bassey for a 58-yard pass play to the Raider 4, Bassey then carried the rest of the way on the next play for the score. Anderson's kick made it 14-10 at the 4:04 mark.
The Blue Devils then got the game's first turnover, recovering a fumble at the Shaw 21. Five plays later Ja'Quan Mason dove in from 3 yards out to give the Devils their first lead. Anderson's kick made it 17-14 with 1:13 left.
But things were not finished in the half.
Nick Beason returned the ensuing kick 30 yards for Shaw to its 33. From there Cobb rattled off 14 yards on the first play, and Knight hooked up with Diaz for 14 more. The Raiders were suddenly into Columbus territory with a little time on their hands.
Another pass play between Knight and Diaz gained 10 more yards and then with just one second left, Knight found Diaz again for what appeared to be a 25-yard touchdown. The play, however, was negated on a holding penalty. Since the half cannot end on a penalty, Shaw had an un-timed down.
Knight was flushed from the pocket and ran out of bounds at the Columbus 5. Again, the half appeared to end, but another penalty -- this one for a late hit on Knight by Columbus -- gave the Raiders another un-timed play. Knight took advantage and hit Zack Taylor with a 5-yard scoring toss with zeroes on the clock. The extra-point kick was wide again, but the Raiders had regained the lead at 20-17.
Columbus would get the teeter-totter going again and would jump back on top late in the third. After both teams had failed to move on the first two possessions, the Blue Devils again took advantage of a turnover. Defensive end Elliott Burbelo stepped in front of a Knight pass for an interception and returned it 46 yards to the Raider 24. A holding penalty and an errant toss on an option play set the Devils back, but a big pass completion to Bassey on third-and-22 gained 24 yards to the Shaw 12 and four plays later James kept from a yard out. Anderson's kick made it a 24-20 in favor of Columbus with 2:09 left in the third quarter.
Shaw then took the momentum back and took control of the game with its running game. The Raiders started a 70-yard march that took 11 plays. Cobb and Beason did most of the work along the way. Beason gained 40 yards in three consecutive carries in one stretch and Knight capped the drive with a two-yard run. Esteban DeJesus came on to kick the extra point and the Raiders jumped back on top 27-24.
The Raider defense then stymied Columbus and forced a punt. With 8:16 left, Shaw mounted a huge drive -- again using the run exclusively. Cobb gained 35 of the 67 yards in the march, including the final 10 to paydirt. The DeJesus kick gave the Raiders a 34-24 lead with 4:55 left.
Columbus tried to mount something, getting a 20 yard completion to Bassey, but a very costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Blue Devil sideline set the effort back 15 yards and thwarted any momentum. The ball went over on downs with 3:46 left and Shaw was able to use that strong run game to deplete the clock.
Friday at Kinnett Stadium
Shaw 6 14 0 14--34
Columbus 0 17 7 0--24
First Quarter
S--Sydarrian Cobb 25 run (kick failed), 6:32
Second Quarter
C--Ryan Anderson 33 FG (8:00)
S--Da'Keen Diaz 44 pass from BJ Knight (Cobb run), 5:37
C--Essang Bassey 4 run (Anderson kick), 4:04
C--Ja'Quan Mason 3 run (Anderson kick), 1:13
S--Zack Taylor 5 pass from Knight (kick failed)
Third Quarter
C--Derrick James 1 run (Anderson kick), 2:09
Fourth Quarter
S--Knight 7 run (Estaban DeJesus kick), 10:05
S--Cobb 10 run (DeJesus kick), 4:55
Team records: Shaw 4-3, 2-1 Region 1-AAAAA. Columbus 5-2, 1-2. Next: Shaw, vs. LaGrange, Oct. 22, 7 p.m., at Kinnett. Columbus, vs. Harris County, Oct. 16, at Kinnett, 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published October 9, 2015 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Shaw jumps back into region race with win over Columbus ."