Jennings, Taylor, Miles Star for New Look Raiders
With over half the roster being new, including three of the four quarterbacks, Racine Raiders head coach John Mamerow and his staff are truly looking to see how players perform in the preseason. The icing on the cake is a win.
Despite a slow start, including being down 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and winning 7-3 at halftime, the Raiders were able to pull away from the Leyden Lions in Melrose Park, Ill., Saturday and walk away with a 34-10 victory.
The Lions scored first and scored last, but everything in between was all Racine as they dominated the scoreboard and the stats, holding Leyden to 89 total yards and just five first downs. Leyden nearly had as many penalty yards, 77, as they did total yards.
The Raiders got notable performances out of veteran running backs Bryan Jennings, Jr. (10 rushes for 56 yards and a TD) and J.R. Taylor (10 rushes for 46 yards and two TDs).
Taylor, an undrafted rookie free agent for the Green Bay Packers out of Eastern Illinois University in 2003, came to the Raiders following the announcement that the Kane County Eagles would not field a team this season.
Wide Receiver Justin Miles, another former Eagle who played collegiately at St. Norbert's College, hauled in four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown from quarterback Chris Walsh (3-5, 54 yards). Walsh also had a 15-yard touchdown run in the game.
Punter Mike Morrison, who also handled kicking duties because Ben Aguilar is still playing indoor football, averaged 47 yards per punt and successfully converted four of five extra point attempts.
The Raiders amassed 286 total yards (130 passing, 156 rushing) in the victory.
The Raiders open Historic Horlick Field next week to play the Kilbourn City Hawks, a team out of the Wisconsin Dells area that play in the Mid-States Football League. The Raiders are having a "Recession Buster" special where all adult and senior tickets purchased at the gate will cost just $5. The Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps will perform at halftime. The game begins at 7 p.m. and the gates open at 5:30 p.m. Free parking is available in lots and on city streets around Historic Horlick Field.
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