Thomas Ray, Deerfield-Windsor defeat Terrell Academy

ALBANY — Deerfield-Windsor quarterback Thomas Ray ran for a 57-yard touchdown and threw for another to lead the Deerfield-Windsor Knights to a 21-0 win over Terrell Academy Friday night in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Webb Memorial Stadium.

While Thomas was leading the offense, the Knight defense shut down the potent Terrell Academy offense with constant pressure and several tackles behind the land of scrimmage. The win improves the Deerfield-Windsor record to 5-0 while the Terrell Academy Eagles fall to 3-1.

The Deerfield-Windsor defense was constantly getting into the backfield all night to disrupt the Eagle offense. Terrell did not even have a first down until the third quarter. The Eagles did gain good yardage in the second half, but each time they got close, the Knight defense would force the ball to turnover on downs or force the Eagles to punt.

“Terrell is a really tough team,” said Deerfield-Windsor head coach Jake McCrae. “But our kids played their hearts out tonight and made plays tonight when we needed to. Our leadership came through tonight. Thomas Ray led the offense and our front seven on defense played their best so far this season.”

Neither team could score in the first quarter, though the Knights overcame three penalties on their first possession to drive all the way down to the nine-yard line. The Knights went for it on a fourth down and one, but the pass to Boles Middleton near the goal line fell incomplete.

The Eagles went for it on fourth and one on the second quarter’s first play, and Deerfield-Windsor’s Chance Bacon stopped the run for Terrell and gave the Knights possession at the 44-yard line. Ray then connected with Bacon on a short pass play that he took down to the 22-yard line and then Bacon caught another pass down to the six. Ray then found Tillman Dew in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown pass to put the Knights on the board. After Waylon Marybury kicked the extra point, the Knights led 7-0.

Later in the second quarter, the Knights were faced with a third and 19 after the Eagles got a tackle for loss and a penalty on the Knights. That’s when Ray whirled away from tacklers at the line and raced past everyone for a 57-yard touchdown run.

Senior running back Ethan Johnson scored the final touchdown for the Knights on a six-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The Knights will travel to Macon next Friday night to play Stratford Academy. The Knights have closed the regular season against Stratford for the previous two seasons, losing 35-0 in 2020 and 41-11 last year. Stratford beat Brookstone Friday night 34-31.

“We have another tough team coming up,” said McCrae. “We’ve got to get healthy.”

Terrell Academy will be at home Friday night, hosting Southland Academy.

Joe Whitfield