ACA Escapes Upset From Greensboro, Wins 34-20

The ACA Patriots earned their first win of the 2021 season, beating the Greensboro Raiders 34-20 behind junior quarterback Sawyer Deerman's two touchdowns and 111 rushing yards.

"It was awesome, but at the end of the day I'm more happy for the players," ACA head coach Chris Martin said after the win, "Like the old saying goes: 'Coaches lose games and players win games' and fortunately enough I didn't lose today."

Get our free mobile app

From the beginning of the matchup, the Patriots struggled on offense, unable to find a rhythm against the Greensboro pass rush. On the opening drive, Deerman fumbled at the goal line and Greensboro cornerback Jakari Moore returned it 99 yards for a Raiders touchdown, putting the Patriots in an early 6-0 hole.

As the half wore on though, ACA appeared to collect itself and Deerman led his team down the field on two crucial scoring drives, finding his receiver for a 30-yard touchdown to get on the board and handing off to his running back, Christian Davis, for another score.

The Raiders began to find some success on offense late in the first half, but were ultimately kept out of the endzone and ACA took a 14-6 lead into the half.

Get our free mobile app

Out of the break, Greensboro quarterback, Ty'quan Lewis gave his team a burst of much needed energy, finding wide receiver Ty'darrian Lewis on an 82-yard touchdown pass, and evening the score at 14. Throughout the second half, despite constant pressure from the ACA pass rush, Lewis shined for his team, finishing the night with 140 yards on the ground and 138 through the air with two touchdowns.

"That kid's a freak," ACA coach Chris Martin said following the victory, "They're a really good football team. They're super athletic and will definitely be a 3A contender."

Although ACA escaped with a victory, sloppiness throughout the game, in the form of fumbles and penalties, could hurt them as they move farther down the schedule. The Patriots take on the Montevallo Bulldogs next week at home, but will need to iron out a lot of the mistakes if they hope to leave with a victory again.