The Woodland High School JV Wolverines opened their home football season last Thursday in an intense matchup against the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Raiders. The night was filled with momentum swings, defensive stands, and late-game drama, with both teams refusing to back down until the final seconds.
The Wolverines’ defense made an early statement when Cooper Chavis broke through for a big sack with 6:25 left in the first quarter. The Raiders answered in the second quarter with the first touchdown of the game at the 9:54 mark, adding a successful two-point conversion to go ahead 8–0.
Woodland responded midway through the second quarter when Kaelen Bryant crossed the goal line with 5:50 left, followed by Christian Green’s two-point conversion that tied the game at 8–8. The Raiders regained the lead shortly after with another touchdown, though their conversion attempt failed, putting them up 14–8 at the half.
The Wolverines came out of halftime determined to shift the momentum. With 4:31 left in the third quarter, Christian Green scored to tie the game, and Tyron Smith punched in the two-point conversion to give Woodland its first lead of the night, 16–14. The defense kept the energy high when Jalen Herndon forced a fumble and Chavis came up with the recovery late in the third. Chavis also delivered a booming 55-yard punt early in the fourth quarter, flipping field position in favor of the Wolverines.
As the game entered its final minutes, the Raiders reclaimed the lead with just over a minute left, scoring a touchdown and conversion to go up 22–16. Woodland refused to quit. With 37 seconds on the clock, Bryant once again broke through the defense for a touchdown, and then converted the two-point attempt himself to give the Wolverines a 24–22 lead.
Unfortunately, Bamberg-Ehrhardt had one last answer. With just three seconds remaining, the Raiders found the end zone to seal the win. Their final two-point attempt was taken as a knee, closing out the game with a 28–24 victory.
Though the scoreboard didn’t swing their way, the Wolverines showed grit, determination, and playmaking ability throughout the night. With explosive runs, critical defensive stops, and never-quit effort, the JV Wolverines gave their home crowd a game to remember.
Final Score: Bamberg-Ehrhardt Raiders 28, Woodland Wolverines 24