Reed was in an unfamiliar spot on Friday at Douglas.
The Raiders were coming off a loss at Clayton Valley Charter. The Tigers, however, were coming off an upset win at McQueen.
Few would’ve blamed Reed for potentially overlooking Douglas with a contest at Carson looming next week. But the five-time 
defending regional champs (1-1, 0-0) did not overlook the Tigers (1-1, 0-0) and got back in the win column with a convincing 53-16 rout.
Reed coach Ernie Howren said he felt the win will help get his squad back into rhythm.
“Oh absolutely,” he said. “The kids are rewarded with a victory tonight. You always want to celebrate every victory. We just have to be critical of ourselves moving forward just so that we’re ready for the next opponent. It’s the process we follow as a program.”
Douglas actually got the ball first and took a 3-0 lead, kicking a short field goal after eating up nearly half the first quarter. Reed responded with four straight touchdowns and say on a 35-9 lead at the break.
“Man, I tell you, Douglas came out on fire,” Howren said. “They had a great game plan, a couple wrinkles and took it down the field. We made a couple mistakes and they get three points out of the opening drive.”
If the game wasn’t already broken open by halftime, Robert Ferrell did the deed in the second half’s first play. He took the kick 99 yards to the house, stretching the lead to 41-9. Ferrel also scored a touchdown on the ground and through the air.
Senior running back Tre Bussey also scored three touchdowns, amassing 187 yards on just 10 carries.
Junior quarterback Cameron Emerson ran for two touchdowns himself, and completed 9-of-10 passes for 155 yards.
Up next for the Raiders is a rematch of the last three regional title games, at Carson. The Senators (1-1, 0-0) fell at Reno on Friday night, 34-17.
“We know each other well,” Howren said. “Blair Roman runs such a great program, the kids are so bought in. That’s a challenge for any team to go play Carson.”
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