"We saved all our mistakes for the first game," Mathews High School varsity football head coach Paul White quipped following Friday night’s 26-19 loss at the hands of the host Amelia Raiders.

"After playing a jamboree with three other teams and a tri-scrimmage, I would never have believed the number of mistakes made against Amelia … and we still had a chance to win driving in during our last possession," White said.

Mathews made it first on the scoreboard, scoring a safety as a snap went sailing over the Amelia punter’s head. The Raiders scored a second-quarter touchdown to take a 6-2 lead into halftime.

The Devils took a 10-6 lead in the third quarter, following a 3-yard touchdown run by James Pavik and a two-point conversion by Chris Davis.

Amelia took back the lead 12-10 late in the third quarter, with Mathews tying it up on the Devils’ second safety of the game, with C.J. Kelly making the tackle.

The Raiders then blew it open in the fourth quarter with a couple of touchdowns, as the Devil defense melted down. Amelia scored both PATs to take a 26-12 lead. Mathews narrowed the gap with an 80-yard TD pass to Kelly. Tyler Tillman’s PAT kick made the score 26-19.

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