The Laurens Raiders scored on their first play from scrimmage but then allowed 26 unanswered points in a 26-7 loss to the Fountain Inn Fury on Friday night in Fountain Inn.

Laurens (0-6, 0-1) took possession at their 29-yard line to start the game. On the first play, Nehemias Fernandez took the handoff 71 yards for a Raider score. After a Brock Franklin PAT, Laurens led 7-0 with 11:39 to play in the first quarter.

Fernandez was a workhorse for the Raiders all night. The senior running back had 13 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Laurens tallied 200 yards of total offense, 139 yards rushing and 61 yards passing. Freshman quarterback Logan Bragg was 7 for 12 for 61 yards. Freshman Travion Robinson had four catches for 51 yards.

After the Raiders’ quick score. Fountain Inn (4-2, 1-0) answered on their next drive when Sam Holliday connected with Ben Ruwe on a 29-yard scoring toss. The PAT was blocked by Quinton Watts, his first of two PAT blocks in the game, to give the Raiders a 7-6 lead.

Holliday gave the Fury the lead with 8:10 to play in the first half on a 7-yard run. After Watts’ second blocked PAT, the Fury led 12-7 and carried that lead until halftime.

The Fury took the opening kickoff of the second half and put together an 11-play drive that ended with a Ayden Burton 2-yard touchdown run. The 2-point conversion failed and Fountain Inn led 18-7.

Fountain Inn added their final score on the first play of the fourth quarter. Holliday hit Colby Flood on a 19-yard touchdown pass and then hit BJ Curenton for the 2-point conversion to put the Fury lead at 26-7.

Laurens was able to get into Fury territory early in the fourth quarter but that drive stalled at the Fountain Inn 23-yard line with 10:30 to play. The Fury would control the ball for the remainder of the game.

Holliday was 14 for 20 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Ruwe had five receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown. Bojack Johnson led the Fury rushing attack with 21 carries for 124 yards.  

Laurens travels to Southside next week and Fountain Inn travels to Wren.