Ravenwood Completes Undefeated Regular Season

The Ravenwood High School Raptors used 21 unanswered points in the first half and pitched a defensive shutout in the second to remain undefeated with a 21-3 win over Battle of the Woods rival Brentwood at home Friday night.

The victory gave the Raptors (10-0, 5-0) their second undefeated regular season in school history, and its first Region 6-6A title since 2020.

“Of course, the main goal was winning the region championship and getting to host the first three rounds of the playoffs,” head coach Will Hester said. “That’s the biggest here because you want to play those games at home, but obviously, playing your rival, the second 10-0 season in school history. Then, I guess avenging one of the losses from last year.”

Brentwood (8-2, 4-1) beat the Raptors twice last season including once in the playoffs. Ravenwood moves to 15-12 in the series since 2004.

Ravenwood’s quarterback duo of Maverick Chance and Femi Babalola combined to go 18-22 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Chance had two touchdowns, including a 55-yard touchdown to senior and Auburn commit Donovan Starr to begin the scoring streak for the Raptors.

Starr, who finished the game with three catches for 70 yards and the touchdown on offense, also added an interception in the end zone to stop a Brentwood drive early in the fourth quarter.

After holding the Bruins to a field-goal on their opening drive, Ravenwood reeled off 21 unanswered points in the first half.

Chance got the scoring started with the 55-yard touchdown pass to Starr on the next drive to put the Raptors up 7-3.

“For us to take that opening possession that we had and drive down and Maverick hit Donovan on the glance route there for the long touchdown, I thought that was a great way to answer," Hester said. "I’m proud of our offense; they only had three possessions in the first half and scored touchdowns on all three.”

After a turnover on downs on the next possession, which ended with an incomplete pass on a fake punt by Canon Kinder, Babalola finished a five-play, 52-yard drive with a 42-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Max Kimpel.

Brentwood punted again on its next drive, and Chance lead the Raptors down the field with some nice runs and passes, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to senior Middle Tennessee commit Ben Hubbard with 2:53 left to play in the half, which put the Raptors up 21-3.

The Bruins moved the ball to the goal line but failed to score as running back Gavyn Nelson got stopped before crossing the goal line as time expired for the half. 

“I think our defense responded by holding them down up until that last drive of the first half, and making another great goal-line stand,” Hester said.”

Jaylen Pollard, son of former Tennessee Titan Bernard Pollard, came up with some big stops to hold the Bruins on that drive.

“He made the last two tackles on that drive, unbelievable plays,” Hester said. “He’s such a physical tackler, that young man. He came up from his safety position and stoned them at the goal line there. Really really proud of him, but really proud of our defense as a whole. That’s the difference between being up 11 at the half or being up 18.”

The second half saw both defenses step up. Brentwood’s Jack Lopez got a sack, which threw a wrench in the Raptors’ opening drive of the second half. But any penetration the Bruins got on offense was thwarted by the Raptors defense that stepped up and forced a turnover or a punt.

Starr's interception came at the beginning of the fourth quarter to stop a Brentwood drive ,and Jayden Smitherman got the final nail in the Bruins coffin when he intercepted JC White on Brentwood’s final drive late in the fourth.

White finished 16-26 for 191 yards and two interceptions.

Both teams will host playoff games next week, as the first round of the playoffs start Friday at 7 p.m.

Brentwood will host the Smyrna Bulldogs (5-5), while Ravenwood will host the Cane Ridge Ravens (2-8). Ravenwood defeated Cane Ridge 48-0 in week 2 this season.