The Raiders opened their season Friday with a 24-0 shutout victory against the Elizabeth Minutemen.

Despite a win on the field, the Raiders suffered some major injuries. Senior linebacker and captain Jack Edwards saw his season come to a disappointing end Friday after suffering a torn ACL and MCL. Junior linebacker Justin Nitschke also left the game with a knee injury, and is expected to miss extended time.

Despite the injuries, the defense played impressively.

“We have a very experienced and productive secondary,” defensive coach Donald Adams said. “We can do a variety of things [on defense].”

On defense, senior Charles Amankwaa recorded an interception.

The offense, too, showed lots of promise. The team started the game strong, moving the ball down the field before having to settle for a senior J.R. Metallo field goal.

Senior running back Tyler Boatwright rushed for two touchdowns. Boatwright was breaking tackles left and right, and used his speed to make it all the way to the end zone.

Senior quarterback Matthew Moore connected with senior wide receiver Justin Brown for a touchdown.

Overall, senior receiver Jackson Parham was happy with his team’s performance.

“I think we played hard as a team and for each other,” Parham said.

This week, the Raiders travel to the home of rival Bridgewater-Raritan. The team hopes to improve their record to 2-0.