Linden proved it will be a force to be reckoned with in 1A Region 4 this season by going on the road and shocking 2A power Woodland 20-16.

Despite the 200-plus mile road trip to Randolph County and last year’s 44-0 loss to the Bobcats, Linden never backed down from the 2004 2A finalists. The Patriots got the job done both on the ground and through the air. Junior quarterback Darnell Richardson found receiver Sean Richardson for both a score and a two-point conversion, and then hit John Lankston for a second TD.

In echoes of Linden’s big-play jamboree game vs. John Essex, Marvin Richardson rumbled for a 60-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a huge opening-night victory.