Bobcats Scratch Out Win to make Playoffs

Featured Stories, Team FYN Sports

Scratching and clawing, the Gilmer High School Bobcats football team brought the regular season down to 22 seconds before securing a AAAA playoff spot. The Gilmer Bobcats won friday night against the Heritage Generals 27-20. A playoff spot was on the line for both teams and the Generals did not go easy without a fight. Gilmer started the night on the Bobcats own 20. What looked like a three and out, turned into a conversion on fourth down. Noah Wilson was back to punt; however, the choose not to punt and went up the left side for 33 yards and the first down. The Bobcats finished off the 80 yard drive with a Russell Cochran rushing touchdown. Gilmer was quickly up 7-0 after a Rodrigo Casas extra point.

Heritage answered on the Generals’ first offensive play of the night, with some “trickeration” of its own. Starting on the Heritage 20, the quarterback would quickly pass the ball all the way left to the running back, who then threw the ball all the way back across the field to Blaine Loveless. Loveless would then take the ball eighty yards to the end zone, quickly letting Bobcats know that Gilmer was in Hertiage’s house and the game, tied 7-7, was not going to be won with out a fight.

Gilmer later capitalized on a fumble recovery. A fifteen yard touchdown pass from Chris James to Garret Rigdon gave Gilmer a 14-7 lead at the end the first quarter.

Heritage’s defense stood strong against the next Gilmer drive. The Bobcats moved the ball all the way down to the General’s 14 yard line. After stalling on three down, the Bobcats attempted a fourth down conversion, that resulted in a turnover on downs after James’ pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Heritage would capitalize by ending the drive with a fifteen yard touchdown pass over the middle to Christian King. A failed extra point attempt made it 14-13 Gilmer.

With 1:40 left in the half Gilmer put together a drive that resulted in a Russell Cochran fourteen yard touchdown. A failed extra point attempt ended the half with Gilmer up 20-13.

The defensive battle in the second half made it clear that a playoff spot was on the line for both of these teams. With a 20-13 lead, Bobcat’s head coach Wesley Tankersley was working the clock in the second half with a ground game. The Bobcats are very good at grinding a game out on the ground when Gilmer has a lead.

Only one problem the Generals defense stood up to the Bobcats ground game. The Generals’ offense found itself on the Gilmer two yard line. It was fourth and one from the two. The Generals went for it and got a first down. Now it was first and goal from the one. A quarterback keeper for a touchdown and an extra point tied the game at 20-20.

With 3:10 to play in the third quarter it looked like Gilmer was going to answer with a forty nine yard touchdown pass, from James to Rigdon; however, a yellow flag on the field would be against Gilmer, holding. The Generals sacked James on the next play. This would end the Gilmer drive and any thought that Gilmer would score in the third quarter. The third quarter ended tied 20-20.

The fourth quarter did not disappoint. The Generals’ twelfth man on the field seemed to be the yellow flag. Gilmer was on the Generals eleven yard line. First and ten from the eleven. Movement on the line would move the Bobcats back to the sixteen.

The offense got back to the original line of scrimmage to bring up a fourth down. Gilmer sent out the field goal team. Before the snap movement on the line put Gilmer out of field goal range. James went back out to go for it on fourth down. An incomplete pass was the result and Gilmer went from first and ten on the eleven to turning the ball over on downs.

With 5:07 to play Gilmer had the ball on its own forty one yard line. Russell Cochran carried the ball down to the Generals thirty eight yard line. The next play Heritage was called for a pass interference and Gilmer found its offense with a first and ten on the Heritage 20. With only 2:38 to play Gilmer was called for a chop block that moved Gilmer back to the 35 yard line. Forced to punt, the special teams pinned the Generals on the half yard line.

With 1:40 to play the Generals come out of the Heritage end zone. The Generals drive was cut short after a failed third conversion resulting in a punt on fourth and 13. Gilmer took over with just under a minute to play. With the game on the line Chris James has proven he will step up to the challenge, remember Cedartown.

With forty seconds left on the clock, what else would one expect? A pass from James to Thaddeus Bowers put the Bobcats on the six yard line. With twenty two seconds on the clock James would go back to Bowers in the back left corner of the end zone, touchdown! Tack on extra point, Gilmer over Heritage 27-20.

Gilmer ends the season with a 5-2 Region 7-AAAA record and a third place finish. Gilmer is 8-2 overall. The Bobcats will travel to take on North Oconee High School in the first round of the playoffs Friday night at 7:30. North Oconee finished second in their region 6-1 (8AAAA) and is 7-3 over all.

Tune into Bobcat Think Tank thursday night at 7[m. We will break down this upcoming game with Bocats head coach, Wesley Tankersley.

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