Nothing is more difficult than losing the first game of the season. The true mark of a team is how they respond from that first loss. After losing 35-0 to South Warren, the Warren East Raiders have won three of their last four games. The main attribution of their recent success has been their rushing game. Junior running backs Eli Brown and Antonio Shields have carried the weight for the Raiders early in the season.
Having a star running back is one thing, but having two is a seldom occurrence. The first backfield stud for the Raiders is Eli Brown. The Vanderbilt-commit has done nothing but rack up up yards in 2013. After running for 338 yards against Hopkinsville, Brown’s rushing total was raised to 814 yards and seven touchdowns through five games. The Raiders relied on Brown to take the snaps at quarterback against Hopkinsville after starter Antwan Gilbert was ruled ineligible. Brown carried the ball 35 times, but also was able to hand the ball off to his teammate, Antonio Shields. On 15 carries, Shields ran for 106 yards. Shields’ 456 yards this season have added another dimension for opposing defenses to worry about. Not only do defenses need to watch Brown, but Shields is also dangerous out of the backfield.
With both Shields and Brown, the Raiders are slated to make a run in the 4A Playoffs later this season. The first loss of the season did not faze WEHS, who have improved tremendously from that first game. The Raiders finished with negative yards in the season opener, but have put up an average of 349 yards per game on the ground ever since. Warren East takes on Meade County this Friday, a team that has only allowed seventeen points through four games. Warren East will look to put an end to their defensive success with the dual-threat backfield of Brown and Shields.
