Raptors top off historic night with a big win over Panthers

On a cool Friday night at Carlton's Jim Erickson Field, two longtime rivals came onto the field as one team for the first game of the season as the Carlton-Wrenshall Raptors edged the South Ridge Panthers 7-6.

"These two schools have competed against one another for decades and tonight - to see these two schools and two groups of kids come together for one reason - it's truly amazing," co-head coach Jason Crane said.

Two communities also came together to support the new program. "No longer is it the Carlton Bulldogs or the Wrenshall Wrens," one parent said. "It is the Raptors from this day forward."

With the largest crowd in attendance in many years, football fans were eager to see how the Raptors would respond to a South Ridge team that went 9-1, with the only loss coming against Cromwell-Wright in the nine-man section championship game.

What fans saw was a defensive battle with both teams playing for field position and both teams trying to establish a ground game but mixing in the pass when it was needed.

During the first quarter, both teams stalled after short drives and the Panthers failed on two fourth-down plays.

In the second quarter, the Raptors connected on two big plays - following another failed fourth- down conversion by South Ridge - as Ryan Gray connected with Matt Santkuyl on a 45-yard pass from deep in their own end of the field, moving the ball down to the Panthers 42. The very next play it was Santkuyl again as he dashed down the far sideline on a 33-yard run. It set up Kaden Crane for a 1-yard touchdown run and the first points in Raptors history. Ryan Gray added the extra point and the Raptors led 7-0.

The score stayed that way until the second half when South Ridge, which had moved the football fairly well, saw running back Tyler Anderson run for 41 yards early in the quarter, putting the Panthers deep in Raptors territory. Following a couple of penalties and a first down, the Panthers scored their lone touchdown when quarterback Riley Kinsley hit Nick Larson in the right corner of the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

With the Panthers cutting the lead down to one point, the Raptors defense stopped a two-point conversion attempt and the lead stayed at 7-6 with time ticking down.

On the next possession, the Raptors moved the ball deep into the Panthers end of the field but stalled. South Ridge had one final drive but the Raptors defense came up big again, stopping a potential game-winning drive and forcing the Panthers to punt. The Raptors then ran out the clock.

The Raptors' first win of the season and in the history of the program was an important start, Crane said. "It's a great day to be a Raptor."