Ravenwood Sneaks By Lions, 28-21 (Game Recap/Top Performers)

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The home Raptors moved to 6-0 on the season but needed every minute of regulation and more to win over a good CPA team in overtime. This was a much closer game than it needed to be but should be one to grow Ravenwood further as they chase after a region and possible state title. </h2>     Two Mid-Tennessee powerhouses battled each other on Friday evening in Williamson County where we needed overtime to settle it and in the end, it was the home Ravenwood Raptors that took a 28-21 victory over Christ Presbyterian Academy.    This was a hard fought, close contest till the very end that saw Boston College commit [player_tooltip player_id='402540' first='Femi' last='Babalola'] seal the win with a two yard quarterback run into the end zone. The Raptors needed every offensive possession in this game to get the job done as the Lions defense made things difficult and wouldn't let the home team get comfortable.    Early on, it looked like CPA was the better team as they got out to a 14-0 lead. The Lions moved the ball well on offense, led by star running back [player_tooltip player_id='1335216' first='Rawls' last='Patterson'] while the Lions defense did a good job of getting into the backfield and slowing up the Raptors rushing attack.    The Lions had a solid game plan and it was working in the 1st quarter. They moved fast and worked at getting the ball into the hands of their top playmakers, especially [player_tooltip player_id='824736' first='Owen' last='Cabell'] to grab an early 14 point lead. Things began to shift into the favor of Ravenwood midway through the 2nd quarter when [player_tooltip player_id='402559' first='Maverick' last='Chance'] started to flash with him scoring the team's first touchdown of the night.    Ravenwood would add another score to tie things up after a short yard run by running back [player_tooltip player_id='1103577' first='Caden' last='Pace']. Things were back to even with the home team starting to take momentum but the Lions kept their cool and would bounce back to take the lead.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/cpace.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1912437" style="width:226px;height:auto" /></figure>   Right before halftime, the Lions went back on top after one of their best drives of the game where quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1652877' first='Jack' last='Van Orman'] threw a pretty, over the shoulder ball into the end zone where [player_tooltip player_id='1629911' first='Weston' last='Willeford'] came down with the pass. The road team took a 21-14 lead into the locker room but myself and everyone knew this game was far from over.    The Raptors jumped out of the break ready to go and used their first offensive possession to tie the game. After a deep ball from Chance to [player_tooltip player_id='1142034' first='Taylen' last='Vaughn'] to put Ravenwood in prime scoring position, Pace generated his second rushing score of the night to bring things back to even at 21-21.    After the early 3rd quarter touchdown by Ravenwood, things went quiet the remainder of regulation as we had multiple defensive stops and several punts. Both teams tightened things up on defense and made it difficult for either squad to get anything going on the ground then locked down coverage on third downs. Opportunity was certainly there for both CPA and Ravenwood to take the game into their favor but neither team could do it.    We headed into the final moments of the game tied with CPA having the last offensive possession and moving the ball down field for a potential score. The Lions did a good job of moving the ball and getting into position for a game winning field goal but two false starts made the kick more difficult. The kick was missed and we were given extra time in this matchup and new hope for the home team.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/ocabell.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1912515" style="width:260px;height:auto" /></figure>   Ravenwood took advantage of the extra time as they took the ball first and needed two plays to take the lead after the short yard run from Babalola. If the Lions wanted to win this game, they had to score and move the contest into a second overtime but their hopes were dashed.    CPA got down to the five yard line after a pass from Van Orman to Cabell but on 4th down, the Lions were stopped with a pass breakup from [player_tooltip player_id='1610490' first='Jaylen' last='Pollard']. The home team had to comeback and hold on to the lead late to win but they finished the job and moved their season record to 6-0. It was another tough loss for CPA. The Lions played hard and were right there to win but they fell short and moved to 1-5 on the season.    This was a team building win for Ravenwood. They needed every minute to defeat CPA but the journey towards victory may prove to be a key moment in the Raptors season as they are a top contender for the 6A state title this year.   - - - - - - - - -   Player of the Game    Even though Chance only produced one touchdown on the night, his running proved to be a big difference maker in the Raptors seven point win over CPA. Splitting duties behind center with Babalola, every time Chance entered the game, he brought some juice with him that seemed to bring the Raptors alive. His athleticism and speed with the ball in his hands was tough for the Lions defenders to handle. Chance also made several clutch passes, including a deep ball in the first half that eventually produced a touchdown. The more I scout Chance, the more I see potential at quarterback in college but also someone that could develop nicely at running back or even slot receiver.    - - - - -   Three Stars …….    Patterson has been kept in-check for most of the season thus far but his play on Friday night was a big reason why CPA stayed in the game with a shot at winning. In the first half, the Lions leaned on Patterson to push drives down field while producing two rushing touchdowns. His balance, low center of gravity strength and vision shined bright against a solid run stopping Raptors defense that had a hard time bringing him down.    - - -    The stat line for Pace may not show a lot of numbers but his two rushing scores in the Raptors 28-21 win over CPA proved to be big with one of them being a seven point difference maker. What Pace did best was provide balance to the offense with the occasional three to five yard runs that moved the chains and kept drives alive. Pace may not be the biggest but he is well put together with good athleticism.    - - -     His number wasn't called a lot in this matchup but when Cabell touched the ball, you could easily see why he was the best player on the field and why he is headed to Alabama. The Lions senior wideout brings college size and athleticism to the playing field and on several occasions in this game, those traits shined. When the ball touched his hands, Cabell generated big plays, using his speed to create separation in his routes and down field.    - - - - - - - - -   Other Top Performers   (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1912259' first='James' last='Nelson'] - Ravenwood: Nelson had a stellar game versus the Lions where he picked off Van Orman in the first half while making several other plays on the ball throughout the seven point win. The Raptors senior defender is someone I need to scout further as Nelson showed good speed along with nice arm length that can work in college at cover corner.    (S) [player_tooltip player_id='1610490' first='Jaylen' last='Pollard'] - Ravenwood: If you watched the game live, you might not have seen Pollard standout until his pass breakup in overtime to close the game but his help in run support was key in this matchup. The Raptors defense did a solid job of competing against Patterson and the Lions rushing attack with Pollard being a big player in those efforts.    ‘27 (OL) [player_tooltip player_id='1154143' first='Ben' last='Hale'] - CPA: The Lions offensive line had some struggles in this game but I thought Hale performed quite well and did a nice job of keeping the Raptors pass rush quiet. This junior big man is a good athlete that moves his feet well while remaining anchored and strong in his stance. His work at tackle this Fall is showing upside to remain on the outside in college, which I think adds value to his versatility up front.    ‘28 (TE) [player_tooltip player_id='1912208' first='Wright' last='Martin'] - CPA: The production wasn't large for Martin in this game but I thought the sophomore tight end did good work with his run blocking while bringing in several catches as his quarterback's safety blanket. The Lions offensive prospect displayed soft hands and solid route running while playing physical at the point of attack in the run game.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/jpollard.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1657515" style="width:256px;height:auto" /></figure>