GOOD HOPE — There were only 11 players on the field at a time for Vinemont Thursday night, but there might as well have been 13 on the game-winning drive.

One was a guardian angel.

With Whitney Cotton and Anna Hughes heavy on their hearts, the Eagles scored on their first and last possessions to stun Good Hope and open the season with a 14-7 win.

Shortly after Colby Nicholas’ second catch for a fourth-down conversion and a big reception by Nate England, Vinemont quarterback Garrett Boland rolled left, saw nothing but green grass and sprinted six yards to paydirt with just 23.2 seconds left. Cody Stewart followed with a 2-point dive that wasn’t to be denied, and the Eagles put together one last defensive stand to hold off the home team.

What a way to start the 2016 campaign. Especially considering the emotional toll the school has taken since a tragic late June car wreck claimed Cotton’s life and left Hughes in critical condition. Both were cheerleaders and multi-sport athletes.

Hughes has since made major progress but still has a long ways to go on her journey to recovery.

“Right here,” Boland said, pointing to a decal on the back of his helmet. “It’s something we’ve all struggled with this summer and it’s something we’ve all wanted to display. That we’re not only remembering them, but we’re playing for them. It just means a lot.”

Added Nicholas: “All this was for Whitney. We played this game for Whitney. And we’re praying for Anna. We hope she gets to come see some of our games. She came home today, and we’re proud. We want her to keep fighting as hard as she can.”

The score stood at 7-6 in Good Hope’s favor from midway through the second quarter until Vinemont’s rally inside the final minute of the fourth. A clutch sack gave the Eagles the ball at their own 30 with 4:15 to go, and they wasted no time moving down the field.

All three of Nicholas’ catches in the second half came on the last drive, including 12- and 14-yarders on fourth down. His other snag went for 14 yards, and Seth Campbell and England kicked in 10- and 15-yarders to set up Boland for his 6-yard jaunt.

The senior was happy to waltz right on in.

“Other than being exhausted, I was … I don’t know … I’m speechless really,” he said. “It was just wild. Wild, wild, wild.

“I knew it was going to be a physical game. I knew it was going to be rough. But I’m proud of the way our linemen played, our receivers played. I couldn’t be more proud. I’m glad we got to make a statement. I’m glad that we got to prove to a county school that we’re not the team we were last year. But I’m also proud of them (Good Hope). They stuck with it. They played really well.”

Boland finished with 149 passing yards and 34 more on the ground. Nicholas had team-highs in catches (five) and receiving yards (64). England wasn’t far behind with four for 40.

Deke Wright led Vinemont with 39 rushing yards on seven carries — all in the first half. His fourth was a 1-yard touchdown only six minutes into the game.

“At halftime, we had a long talk about how every time we play Good Hope, ever since Fireplug, I think they’ve dominated the series,” Boland said. “It was just who wanted it more and in the second half, we did. They played well, but I could tell we wanted it more.”

Nicholas understandably kept turning to the same word to describe his emotions.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “I’m very proud of how we turned out, because our line … we started out slow, but they did amazing in the end. It was amazing.”

Alonso Salgado, Gage Bailey, Boland, Wright, Campbell and Lane Smith were among the many who made defensive contributions for the Eagles. The unit received plenty of help throughout the evening from the Raiders themselves — mostly in the form of errant snaps.

“Yeah, we’ll need to get that fixed,” said Good Hope coach Alan Scott. “All you can do is come back to work tomorrow and try to get better moving forward.”

Good Hope turned a couple of defensive highlights into their only touchdown halfway through the second quarter. One play after Austin Knight followed Matt Schwaiger’s 12-yard sack with a deflected punt in the end zone, Matthew Dixon rumbled in from nine yards out for the Raiders’ only score.

Preston Bagwell and Mason Moniz picked up huge chunks on the ground in the second half, and Matt Hancock had a 21-yard catch on Good Hope’s final drive, but the Raiders missed a field goal, stalled out twice and punted on their other four possessions.

In total, the home team amassed 170 yards. Moniz had the most individually with 43 on just four carries. Dixon, Good Hope’s most dangerous weapon, had 27. The sophomore was shelved for the last two quarters after suffering an injury on the final play of the first half.

Schwaiger, Knight, Garrett Bagwell, Matt Cofer, Christian Echols, Kyle Carlton, Riley Kilpatrick and others shone on defense throughout the night.

“It was a very good defensive game all around, a very mediocre offensive game all around,” Scott said. “Vinemont made the plays that mattered at the end of the game.”

Eagles’ coach Matt Norris couldn’t have been more content to see it all come together when it mattered most. His team is looking to build on a 1-9 record in his first season on campus and is well on its way with Thursday’s result.

“It was a team effort. We could have folded up the tents, but we decided to not do that,” Norris said. “We got lucky to win the ballgame. Both teams had chances. The outcome could have been reversed. We preach all the time — don’t stop fighting, don’t give up. I’m happy for these kids. They’re starting to see some rewards for staying with the fight and doing what we’re teaching them to do.

“I think the world of coach Scott. They gave us a lot of problems. We’ve got a lot to work on if we’re going to win games moving forward.”