Red Raiders Show Progress Against Vikings Thanks to Bethea

It takes some time before the sting of a loss goes away.

The look of disappointment showed on the faces of Ocean City High School players Friday night.

The Red Raiders let a win get away against Atlantic City, but the truth is that the team showed progress from Week 1 to Week 2.

"We had a lot of positives, but we had a lot of negatives, and that's what we have to fix so we can play even better next week," Ocean City running back and defensive end Ben Bethea said.

The scoreboard showed that Atlantic City beat Ocean City, 27-18, but the gap between the positives and negatives was slimmer than the score and definitely closer than the previous week.

The positives included a better job on the defensive side of the ball and sophomore quarterback Chris Gabor showing he is more than a capable varsity player with a versatile and talented receiving corp.

Ocean City picked off two passes and only gave up the pigskin once. Ocean City also was penalized fewer times than Atlantic City.

The negatives include the special teams giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown for the second consecutive week and some spotty poor tackling that turned what should have been short gains into long ones.

Although Bethea scored twice on the ground, the Red Raiders never got a running game going against the Vikings.

"I thought our pursuit was better, and I thought our positioning was better," Ocean City coach Kevin Smith said.

"Last week we were out of position against Vineland and they had some big plays. We remedied some of that (Friday). We can still tackle better. There are still an awful lot of yards after contact."

He added: "I thought we got a lot better (Friday). I'm encouraged by that."

BIG PLAY BEN

Ben Bethea is a force for the Red Raiders on both sides of the ball.

The 212-pound defensive end was in the Atlantic City backfield several times last night registering tackles for losses.

The senior, who is also known for his speed, broke two or three tackles on his way to a 37-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. He also added a 2-yard touchdown earlier in the game.

The two-way player may see some more time in the running game, but the fear is that he already has a lot of responsibility, playing offense, defense and special teams.

"He plays so much on defense for us that it's hard to get him 20 carries a game because his workload is tremendous," Smith said. "We try to rest him in the first half so he is in there the second half when the other team is wearing down."

He added: "He is physical specimen. He is like a man out there."

INTRODUCING COLTON MENTZER

Colton Mentzer, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound lineman, is out for the football team for the first time in his high school career, according to Smith.

Mentzer has impressed in two weeks. The defensive lineman already has three sacks this season and has caused havoc for the opponents' offensive line.

He may be new to the team, but if he continues to perform like he has, other Cape-Atlantic League teams will be forced to take notice.

UP NEXT

It's Mainland week. The rival schools meet at 7 p.m. on Sept. 23 for Ocean City's home opener.

Both squads will be looking for its first win of the season. Mainland has won the past six meetings.

"It's a grudge game," Bethea said.