Big fourth quarter helps Rayen rally

The Tigers converted three turnovers into 18 points in the final quarter.
By PAUL TRGOVAC
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CAMPBELL -- The Rayen High football team scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns off of Campbell Memorial mistakes to rally for their fifth-straight win, a 24-7 victory over the Red Devils on John Knapick Field.
Rayen (5-2) converted a blocked punt, an interception, and a fumble recovery into 18 points.
Trailing 7-6 going into the fourth quarter, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs at the Red Devil 24 on the second play of the period.
Carter enters picture
On fourth down, the Red Devils were forced to punt and Jerome Carter broke in from the right side to block the kick with the Tigers taking over at the Campbell 8-yard line.
Tiger quarterback Sal Battles carried two straight times, scoring on the second carry from 3 yards out, to give the Tigers a 12-7 lead with 8:38 left in the game.
On the next Red Devil drive, Lonnie McQueen was intercepted by Dwayne Smith at the Rayen 38. Smith returned the ball 49 yards to the Campbell 13, and, three plays later, Battles scored on a 1-yard sneak for an 18-7 lead.
On the second play after the Tiger kickoff, Rayen's Steve Slade recovered a Campbell fumble on the Devils' 19. Battles found Troy Rice with a scoring pass from 15 yards out for the final score of the game.
Rayen scored the first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run by Gary Thornton with 1:14 to play in the opening quarter. The six-play drive was set up by a Campbell fumble which Slade recovered at the Red Devil 32. Rayen missed the two-point conversion -- the Tigers failed to convert on all four tries -- and the Tigers led the game 6-0.
First for McQueen
Campbell (2-5) then drove 59 yards in 7 plays with McQueen throwing his first touchdown pass of the season, a 6-yarder, to Terrence Phillips. Ryan Lopez kicked the extra point and Campbell took the 7-6 lead.
Rayen picked up 13 first downs in the game to seven for Campbell. The Red Devils had 117 yards of total offense, 67 rushing and 50 passing. McQueen hit on 3 of 9 passes while Dominique Lucky had 42 yards on 7 rushes.
Battles finished with 104 yards rushing on 24 carries and was 3 for 10 in the air for 76 yards. The Tigers had 208 yards rushing on 48 attempts and finished with 284 total yards.
The Tigers were penalized nine times for 92 yards, including one which canceled a touchdown run late in the second period. Campbell only had one penalty for 15 yards, but had two punts blocked, lost two fumbles and had one interception.