Raiders REtain Oar for seventh straight year

The Raiders closed out a tremendous regular season in style, defeating Palmer Trinity 36–7 on the road to retain the Oar for the seventh consecutive year and finish the regular season with an impressive 9–1 record.

Junior Noah Alce ’28 and the Raider offensive line dominated from the start. Alce rushed for 253 yards on 23 carries, including two touchdowns and an explosive 75-yard touchdown run. Junior wide receiver Colton Smith ’28 continued his torrid pace, hauling in six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. With his performance, Smith surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season — an incredible accomplishment! Sophomore Benji Rodriguez '29 added three catches including a touchdown to round out the scoring for the offense. Sophomore quarterback Alfonso Llanes ’29 continued to lead the offense with poise, completing 19 of 27 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior Hunter White ’27 led the way with eight tackles and three sacks, continuing his outstanding season. But perhaps the biggest play of the afternoon came from junior cornerback Finn McCarron ’28. With Palmer Trinity driving and threatening to make it a one-score game, McCarron intercepted the pass and raced 90 yards for a pick-six, extending the Raider lead to 29–7 and putting the finishing touch on another dominant performance. With the victory, the Raiders finish the regular season 9–1 and will now enter a bye week as they turn their attention toward the regional playoffs, which begin November 13.