Several things went wrong for the Racine Raiders Saturday night against the Illinois Cowboys, but they still ended up on the right side of the final score.
The Raiders’ defense allowed an opponent to score points for the first time this season, but recovered to make critical plays in the second half to preserve a 7-6 victory over the Cowboys in a Mid-West United Football League game at Freedom Park in Tinley Park, Ill.
The Raiders (5-0 overall, 2-0 MWUFL) got all the points they needed on quarterback Sawyer Schick’s 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Miles Gallagher with 8:20 left in the first half.
But the defense’s 12-quarter shutout streak ended just 2:14 into the game when the Cowboys (1-1 overall and MWUFL) scored on a 62-yard touchdown pass that resulted in part from some miscommunication in the defensive backfield.
In the second half, the Raiders turned the Cowboys away twice after they drove inside the Raiders’ 5-yard line. One of those goalline stands came after a fumble return for a touchdown by Illinois was negated by a block in the back penalty.
Linebacker Aarion Ivy was the catalyst on defense, making big play after big play. He had several tackles for loss and deflected two passes. The Raiders also had two interceptions.
Aside from the touchdown, the Raiders had their own struggles on offense. The running game never got going and Schick was intercepted twice — the first time he has been picked off this season — and he misfired on a few other throws.
This is the first time the Raiders have beaten the Cowboys on their home field. The Raiders are 10-3 all-time against the Cowboys.
