Junior Zach Samson is no stranger to Collins-Maxwell-Baxter fans, but he re-introduced himself in a big way on Friday night.
Scoring all six of the team’s touchdowns and racking up 439 yards of total offense, Samson sparked the Raiders (1-0) to a 42-35 season-opening victory over North Polk in Alleman.
Samson’s final offensive numbers included 22-for-30 with four touchdowns, three picks and 249 yards through the air along with 190 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rush attempts. After seeing some field time as a receiver last season, his transition to quarterback looks like it may not be very trying.
Four different receivers caught balls from Samson, with junior Austin Moorman leading the way with seven catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Zach Huffaker and sophomore Bryce Kemp were right behind, however, as Huffaker finished with seven catches for 77 yards and a score and Kemp caught six passes for 64 yards and a TD.
Senior Tim Thalacker was all over the field defensively, picking up 14 tackles. Senior Darrien Sadler and Kemp each recorded nine tackles of their own, while Moorman had the team’s lone sack.
The Raiders’ season doesn’t look much easier this week as they will stay on the road to take on Gilbert.