The Richland Raiders made the trek over the hill to Frog Bottom to face the Cornersville Bulldogs for a Region 5A tilt Friday night.

The Bulldogs used a fourth quarter 20-point swing, highlighted by running back Brady Calahan’s 81-yard run for a touchdown and Cornersville came away with a 41-21 victory in a tough-fought, gritty game.

Calahan totaled 203 yards on 18 carries, scored on a 41-yard run in the second quarter before fourth quarter touchdown runs of 10 and 81 yards.

The Raiders came out brimming with confidence after winning the toss and deferring to the second half.

The kickoff was boomed to the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line and gathered in by Brady Calahan, who returned it for 20 yards to the 30-yard line.

The Bulldogs’ offense could do little against the Raiders’ rugged defense and were forced to punt on fourth-and-19.

Cameron Estes’ punt carried to the Raiders’ 32 and after a nine-yard return, the Raiders started their first possession at their own 41-yard line.

Using the running of Austin Seals and quarterback Peyton Sharpe, the Raiders built a 12-play drive that produced the game’s first score, a one-yard lunge by Seals for a 7- 0 Richland lead at the 3:44 mark of the first quarter.

The Bulldog offense could not get going and again Estes was forced to punt and the Raiders started their second possession at their own 33-yard line.

The Raiders faced a fourth-and-13 as the quarter ended with the score Richland 7, Cornersville 0.

This time the Bulldogs’ defense stood their ground and forced the Raiders to punt.

The Bulldogs began to make progress against the Raiders’ defense as quarterback Jackson Farler, on a third-and-11 rambled for 16 yards and a first down.

On the very next play, Brady Calahan broke around the left side and outran the Raiders’ defense for a 41-yard TD.

The point after was blocked and the Bulldogs trailed 7-6.

Sharpe took the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to the house on a great return and the Raiders pushed the lead to 14-6 after the extra point.

The Raiders and Bulldogs defenses settled in and traded turnovers with a Cornersville fumble and an interception by Estes.

“My defense pressured the quarterback and allowed me to get the ball, then my teammates blocked for me on the run,” Estes said

Brady Calahan then began to make his presence known again as his 18-yard punt return took the ball to the Raiders’ 22-yard line.

Runs by Alex Hillard, Cason Warner, and Rhett Woodard moved the ball to the Raiders’ 4-yard line.

From there, Calahan ran to the one where he fumbled, but big Houston Williams recovered it in the end zone for a Bulldog touchdown.

The two-point conversion was denied and the score with 36 seconds left in the half stood at 14-12.

The third quarter began with the Raiders beginning a 13-play drive from their own 32-yard line.

The drive looked promising until a holding call and a false start pushed the Raiders back to the Bulldogs’ 44-yard line.

On a third-and-19, Sharpe ran for three yards and that is where Woodard stopped him and the Raiders were forced to punt.

“We were coming downhill and doing what we do best,” Woodard said about his stop.

”We challenged our guys at halftime and told them that they (Richland) were being more physical than we were and if we wanted the game we were going to have to change the momentum and get more physical with them,” said Cornersville coach Gerard Randolph.

Starting from their own 14-yard line, the Bulldogs ground game began to grind down the Raiders’ defense.

The Bulldogs were stopped and forced to punt from their own 46-yard line and Estes’ kick bounced at the 20 and rolled to the 10-yard line.

The Raiders’ deep man, surrounded by three Bulldogs, inexplicably touched the ball and Jackson Mitchell recovered at the Richland 10-yard line.

Warner took over, and on three straight runs he scored and added the two-point conversion that put Cornersville in the lead for the first time at 20-14.

After a short kick the Raiders were in business on the Bulldogs’ 39-yard line, facing a second-and-eight as the third quarter ended.

Cornersville’s lead lasted 11 seconds into the fourth quarter as Seals got loose on a 39-yard TD run. The extra point was good and the Raiders were back in front 21- 20.

The Bulldogs began their next drive at their own 16-yard line and after an illegal shift penalty, faced a fourth-and-eight at the 18-yard line and were forced to punt.

Estes was roughed on the punt and Cornersville got new life with a first down.

The next five plays for the Bulldogs featured Brady Calahan and from the 10-yard line he burst into the end zone and then rushed for the two-point conversion and Cornersville led 28-21.

The Bulldog defense stood up and stopped the Raiders, forcing a punt that went to the Cornersville 19-yard line.

Brady Calahan took a handoff and raced around the right side, streaking down the sidelines for an 81-yard touchdown run and with the extra point kick by Jackson Williams the Bulldogs now led 35-21.

“We prepare for the game and I have to give credit to Cason Warner and my other teammates because it takes eleven players to make a team, we are coming together,” Calahan said.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Raiders fumbled the ball after a Tilden Jackson hit and Mason Calahan recovered for the Bulldogs at the Richland 41-yard line.

The Bulldogs began to grind the running game as Brady Calahan, Warner, and Hillard ran the ball to the Raiders’ five-yard line.

From there, Farler ran to the one-yard line, fumbled, and again the Bulldogs were blessed when Barrett Powers fell on it in the end zone for a Cornersville score.

The two-point conversion was no good and with 14 seconds left in the game the Bulldogs led 41-21.

That score held up and the Bulldogs took another step towards securing and hosting a first-round playoff game.

“It’s a big rivalry and Coach Randolph told us to not get caught up in the emotions of the game,” Brady Calahan said.

The number-ten ranked Bulldogs (5-3, 3-1), hoping to gain home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs, travel to Huntland to face the Hornets (4-4, 1-2) tonight.

Richland 7 7 0 7-21

Cornersville 0 12 8 21-41

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

Richland-Austin Seals 16-yard run, Jace Yurewitch PAT, 3:22.

Second Quarter

Cornersville-Brady Calahan 41-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT NG, 9:37.

Richland-Skiles 89-yard kickoff return, Jace Yurewitch PAT, 9:19.

Cornersville-Houston Williams 2-yard fumble return, two-point run NG, 0:36.

Third Quarter

Cornersville-Cason Warner 3-yard run, Cason Warner two-point run, 0:09.

Richland-Austin Seals 39-yard run, Jace Yurewitch PAT, 11:49.

Fourth Quarter

Cornersville-Brady Calahan 10-yard run, Brady Calahan two-point run, 5:51

Cornersville-Brady Calahan 81-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT, 3:16.

Cornersville-Barrett Powers 1-yard fumble return, two-point run NG, 0:14.

Total Offense: Richland 144, Cornersville 303.

Rushing: Richland 132, Cornersville 296.

Passing: Richland 12, Cornersville 7.

First Downs: Richland 10, Cornersville 15.

Penalties: Richland 8-80, Cornersville 6-65.

Turnovers: Richland 2, Cornersville 1.

Time of Possession: Richland 19:02, Cornersville 28:58.

Cornersville Offense

Rushing: Brady Calahan 18-203-3TD, Cason Warner 10-38-TD, Alex Hillard 6-20, Jackson Farler 8-18, Wes Calahan 3-12, Rhett Woodard 2-5.

Passing: Jackson Farler 2-5-7-0-0.

Receiving: Tanner Edwards 2-7.

Kicking

PAT: Jackson Williams 1-2.

Punting: Cameron Estes 4-163.

Returns

Kickoffs: Brady Calahan 2-20.

Punts: Brady Calahan 2-30.

Defense

Tackles: Rhett Woodard 7 (.5 SACK, 1.5 TFL), Cason Warner 4, Jackson Mitchell 4 (FUM REC), Devon Massengill 2.5, Trenton Posey 2.5 (.5 TFL), Michael Bungay 2.5, Tracy Wood 2 (TFL), Cameron Estes 1.5 (INT), Dylan Baus 1, Blake Jones 1, Mason Calahan 1 (FUM REC), JC Spray 1, Houston Williams (FUM REC), Barrett Powers (FUM REC).

Region 5A Standings

Fayetteville 8-0, 5-0

Cornersville 5-3, 3-1

Moore County 4-4, 1-2

Huntland 4-4, 1-2

Mt. Pleasant 5-3, 1-3

Richland 4-4, 0-3