The Raiders boy’s football season opener didn’t go exactly as planned: they lost to Warren Hills by a final score of 35-15 on Friday evening. However, after a week of practice and evaluation on what to do better and what to expect going forward, the Raiders appear to be ready to face off against the Linden Tigers (0-1) tonight, Sept. 15, at seven. As for Linden, they are coming off a gritty, low-scoring 12 to 7 defeat against Westfield, a team who has won 26 straight games. Both teams are looking to get in the win column, so expect a tight, physical, and competitive game.
“I expect us to be hungry for a win,”Raiders Quarterback Cooper Heisey stated, “Throughout the whole week of practice we’ve been focused on doing the little things right, so our plays are perfected during the game.” It is clear Heisey and the rest of the team are prepared for Linden and are hoping for a victory. The team is excited to have an opportunity to overcome the 38 to 7 loss to Linden a season ago, which is still in the mind of most of the players on the team. “We need to go into the game angry, and with revenge on our minds,” Raider’s running back Alex Oslislo stated, “As long as we do what we are coached to do, we will come out on top and improve our record to 1 and 1.”
 
Prediction: Victory for the Raiders by a final score of 29 to 26. Both Javin Scott and Alex Oslislo have breakout performances; Oslislo finds the end zone twice while Scott rushes for nearly 100 yards. Heisey shines; throws for over two-hundred yards, and connects with Justin Sanders and Isaiah Stewart for a touchdown each.