When second-ranked Williamsburg couldn’t smother Mid-Prairie offensively last Friday, the Raiders turned to special teams.

Riley Holt, a senior running back, picked up a loose ball following a blocked punt in the second quarter and returned it 12 yards for the first touchdown in a 24-8 win over the Golden Hawks.

Holt also rushed for 129 yards and one touchdown, but 86 of those yards came on one scoring play in the third quarter. Outside of that, Mid-Prairie held him to 43 yards on 15 carries.

After falling behind 24-0, Mid-Prairie senior receiver Clarke Latchem caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Vinnie Bowlin on the first play of the fourth quarter.

But, clearly, this game was all about the kicks.

The first time Jake Swartzendruber stood back in punt formation, the ball came back to him on a bounce and he never got a kick off, instead losing the ball on a fumble.

Second time, another bad snap, another bad ending.

Third time, a block turned into a Williamsburg touchdown.

“Too many mistakes. Special teams was horrendous tonight,” said Mid-Prairie head coach Pete Cavanagh. “You can’t make those mistakes against a good team.”

After going ahead 7-0, the unbeaten Raiders (5-0) added a field goal later in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead. They closed out a crucial district win on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Levi Weldon to Jake Weber and Holt’s long scoring run with 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

The victory virtually wrapped up the Class 2A, District 7 title for Williamsburg with two games remaining. The Golden Hawks and Raiders were the only teams unbeaten in the district race entering Friday’s showdown.

And since both teams will make the postseason due to the revised state playoff plan made necessary by the COVID-19 shortened season, the Hawks and Raiders could meet again in the Class 2A playoffs.

“Obviously, I think we’re a good team,” Cavanagh said. “There’s a possibility we could play these guys again down the road. That’s what we told our guys after the game. Obviously, it’s a game that we don’t make those mistakes, it’s a lot closer.”

Williamsburg held Mid-Prairie senior running back Kayden Reinier to 54 yards on 17 carries. After gaining more than 800 yards on the ground over their previous two games, the Golden Hawks totaled 163 against the Raiders.

“It’s hard to run against this team,” Cavanagh said. “They’re a very good defensive team. We kind of had to spread them out to run.”

Once the Hawks were down by 24 points, they had to turn to the air in an attempt to score quickly. Williamsburg feasted on that scenario, intercepting Bowlin three times. The senior did carve up the Patriots for 300 yards, 160 through the air on a season-high 17 completions in 37 passing attempts, and a season-high 140 on the ground.

“I thought Vinnie played well. I thought he really did,” Cavanagh said. “Toward the end of the game, we got in the situation where we have to throw a lot and that’s not good.”

STAT LEADERS

Rushing: Vinnie Bowlin, 14 carries, 140 yards; Kayden Reinier, 17-54.

Passing: Bowlin, 14-of-37, 160 yards, 1 TD.

Receiving: Clarke Lathem, 5 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD; Jackson Pennington, 4-30; Nathan Quinby, 1-29.

Defense: Justice Jones, 10.5 tackles; Bowlin, 6.5 tackles, Ben Meader, 6 tackles; Quinby, 2.5 tackles, 1 interception.

Next game: Friday, at Belle Plaine, 7 p.m.