STEARNS —    The Raider football team got to play on their home field for the first time this season on Friday night but unfortunately the outcome was their second loss in as many contests as Pineville pulled away with three late first half scores to put the game out of reach.

  The scoring flurry changed what had been a 14-0 game  with a little more that three minutes to go until intermission into a 32-0 rout at the half.  Pineville scored on a seven play, 80 yard drive with 2:18  left in the second quarter to push the lead to 20-0 and then after McCreary used just 1:06 off the clock regained possession and scored on a 45 yard pass completion on second down to make the score 26-0 with :42 remaining in the half.

   Pineville again got the ball back when the line drive kickoff hit a Raider on the front line of the kickoff return team and bounced far enough away for a Mountain Lion player to fall on it.  With  just :38 left in the half Pineville completed a short pass for a six yard gain followed by a run for three more to bring up a third and one from the Raider 39 yard line.  The third down pass was incomplete bringing up a fourth down with only ten seconds remaining.  A final play hail mary found an open receiver however for a 39 yard touchdown strike leaving just four seconds on the clock and more importantly leaving the Raiders  in a 32-0 hole at the half.

  McCreary’s offense had shown signs of improvement over the opening game at Taylor County.  The Raiders advanced the ball to the Mountain Lion 25-yard line on the opening possession on a 55 yard run by Arlis Dople on the second play of the game.  A turnover would end that scoring threat but they would again move the ball downfield two possessions later.

  This time a pass completion from  Dylan Cooper to Chase Perry for a 39-yard gain brought Central to within 36 yards away but a fumbled handoff again brought the drive to an premature ending.

  Trailing 8-0 McCreary got the ball for the fourth time after holding Pineville on a fourth down at the Raider 46.

  A quick first down completion from Cooper to Perry picked up eight yards and then Cooper picked up the first down with a ten yard quarterback keeper.  Dople then rushed for a 12-yard gain down to the Mountain Lion 24 and Cooper followed with another two yard pickup.  A delay of game penalty however backed the Raiders up into a second and 13 situation which turned into a third and 13 after an incompletion.  A run by Dople on third down gained only four yards back and another incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back over to Pineville just one snap into the second quarter.

  The Raiders finished the period with 113 yard of offense but each trip into Pineville territory resulted in a self destructed play to halt the scoreing threat.

  Pineville opened the second quarter with a long 77-yard drive that took 8 plays and gave them a 14-0 lead with 7:45 to go in the half.

   McCreary would respond with yet another scoring opportunity aided by tow 15-yard penalties called against Pineville.  Cooper scrambled on first down long enough to find Josh Gregory over the middle for a seven yard completion down to the 23-yard line but Cooper was sacked on the next play and then threw an incompletion on third down leading to a fourth and seven.  Again Cooper had to scramble but was able to find Dople circling back toward him on the left side.  Dople pulled in the catch and fought through two defenders before coming down just inches short of the 20-yard line where the first down marker was at.  

  From there Pineville took over and began their drive to score the first of thier three touchdowns in the final 2:18 of the half.

  As if the final minutes of the first half was rough enough on the Raiders Pineville would take the second half kickoff and snap the ball just four times to drive 65-yards for a 19 yard touchdown run to increase their lead to 39-0 just 1:32 into the second half.

  The Raiders would eventually fall behind 45-0 before getting on the scoreboard late in the game on a drive that started on the Pineville 41 after Central had recovered a fumble.

  After runs on first and second down by Gregory that netted one yard Dople broke off a 35-yard gainer on third down down to the Mountain Lion five.  Tow plays later he would score on a run to the right corner to give McCreary their only score of the night.

  Arlis Dople carried the ball 15 times for 115 yards and a touchdowns to lead McCreary.  Dylan Cooper was 5-15 passing for 81 yards.  Chase Perry had three receptions for 51 yards and Josh Gregory had a pair for 30 yards.

  The Raiders will be at home again this week hosting Knott County Central at 7:30.  The Patriots are 0-1 after losing 43-14 to Bracken Co. on Friday night.  

  The Raiders defeated Knott Central 61-26 last year.