By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — Defence will be the focus for the Davidson Raiders following a close loss to the Caronport Cougars last weekend.
The Davidson senior football team was in contention for most of the Sept. 18 game — narrowing the gap to four points during the fourth quarter — but fell behind in the closing minutes, resulting in a 76-62 victory for their guests.
Defensive coach Greg McJannet said last week that he and the other coaches were pleased with the effort, adding that strengthening the Raiders’ defence will be the next piece in the puzzle.
“It was a little more wide open than we wanted it to be,” he said, noting that the team’s offence had played very effectively. “We need to make sure our defence is on the same page.”
The Sept. 18 game was the Raiders’ season opener, following a 70-66 win over the LCBI Bisons in an exhibition game at home on Sept. 10.
The Raiders struggled to keep up with the Cougars in the first half, lagging at 38-26 after the second quarter.
Davidson scored four touchdowns in the final quarter — including two conversions, adding a total of 28 points to their score — but Caronport rebounded in the last minutes, surging ahead to claim a secure victory.
McJannet acknowledged that the Raiders struggled in some areas, giving up too many points and failing to contain their opponents’ passes, for instance.
“It takes a lot of coaching to get good pass coverage,” he said, noting that Caronport had a strong aerial game.
McJannet said the team is aiming to give up fewer than 30 points at each game, in the belief that they will be able to overpower any competitor they face this season.
He had compliments for the O-line, including Andrew Read, Addison Ouellette and Dawson George, crediting them for “working as a unit.” He also said the defence was making progress and “doing lots of good things.”
McJannet noted the strong attendance at both games so far this year, observing that fans in Davidson and other communities were recognizing the team’s improved performance this fall.
For the full story, please see the Sept. 28 edition of The Davidson Leader.