Benton Academy fell to 1-3 on the season on Friday night when they were defeated 51-28 by Central Holmes.
The Trojans jumped on Benton early, and when the Raiders were unable to respond accordingly, CHCS doubled up, giving them an early 13-0 lead.
Central Holmes carried their early wave of momentum to a 33-14 lead at the half. In the second half, the Raiders had opportunities, but ultimately, they were unable to close the substantial gap and lost 51-28.
Bruner Chandler was the leading rusher for the Raiders with 11 rushes for 123 yards and one touchdown.
Cody Prescott was a work horse, rushing 23 times for 105 yards.
Harris Dooley had 11 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Shelton Appleton rounded out the ground game with 10 carries for 36 yards and a score.
Joseph Mills was the leading tackler for the Raiders with 10 tackles, while Ty Blackstock was right behind him with nine.
According to BA head coach Kenny Burton, the offense played well enough to win the game.
“We rushed for 297 yards,” he said. “When you do that, you’re supposed to win the game. We drove down the field a couple of times and ended up with no points. You can’t do that against a quality opponent.”
One of the biggest issues plaguing Burton’s team is a string of injuries that have forced younger, more inexperienced players into action.
“We’re really beaten up on the defensive side of the ball,” Burton said. “We have 19 players on the team, and we have a couple with broken bones. Moving players around and trying to figure it all out has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do as a coach.”
The Raiders ravel to Greenville Christian Friday. The Saints (1-3) are coming off of a 40-0 thrashing at the hands of Riverside, a public school.
Burton believes the Saints will present a different challenge this year due to a shift in offensive philosophy.
“They’ve run the ball a little more this year than in the past from what I can tell,” Burton said. “I think they will mix it up a little more than they did last year.”
