WEST POINT —

In a matchup defined so uniquely by two resolute defenses, Good Hope’s came up with one more big stop on Friday night.

The Raiders — shortly after surging ahead on the initial possession of overtime with a 1-yard touchdown scamper by Kaleb Jones — stood tall one last time, forcing a turnover-on-downs to open the season with a 6-0 road victory against West Point.

“It’s definitely a great way to start the season — a good game like this against a great team like West Point,” Jones said. “The fans always love to see close games like this, because it’s very exciting. I’m glad my team was able to do what we did and punch it in for the win. We’re used to being under this kind of pressure, but I’m still happy we were able to pull out the win. I think my team did a great job.”

So, too, did Good Hope coach Alan Scott.

“First of all, I want to thank God for giving us the ability to be here and be in this situation,” he said. “I love these kids. They play very hard, and we knew going into tonight they were going to play hard — there were just a lot of questions. And we probably still have a few of those questions still. But, at the end of the day, you can’t doubt how hard they play. Their desire to win showed, and I’m extremely proud of their effort and how they finished tonight.”

Neither team threatened much offensively until late in the first half.

Both defenses, however, came through in the second quarter when they needed to do so.

West Point notched a tackle for loss on fourth down after Good Hope had driven the ball inside the 10-yard line. The Raiders responded in kind on the Warriors’ ensuing possession, stuffing a fourth-and-goal run from the 1-yard line to keep the game scoreless.

“You never know how your goal-line defense is going to perform until you put them out there,” Scott said. “We were kind of reeling on that drive, but our guys buckled down and made the plays.”

The Warriors had additional chances to put up points in the second half, driving inside Good Hope territory on three different occasions.

Untimely penalties and key stops by the Raiders, though, upended any potential momentum.

Despite that, West Point coach Don Farley couldn’t have been more proud of his team’s tenacity.

“Our kids played their tails off,” he said. “I loved their effort and pride. They will come back and get ready for next week.”

Although his team registered its lowest scoring output since 2017, Scott remains confident his young offense will find its way.

“Coach (Mitch) Witcher does a great job,” he said. “We’re going to iron out the wrinkles. We’ve got all the faith in the world in them. I go against that offense every day in practice, and I know how hard it is to stop. Kudos to West Point. Coach Farley and coach (Justin) Cornelius had a great plan. Our kids just made a couple of plays at the end there. I’m super proud of them.”

Good Hope will host Vinemont next Friday night, while the Warriors will travel to Hanceville.