Fannin ends season with region loss
CJ Reece is now the all-time leading tackler for the Fannin County Rebels with 353 career stops to his credit.
Reece broke the old record held by Cooper Born of 339 last Thursday night against region rival Gordon Lee.
Fannin County Rebels Head Coach Chad Cheatham confirmed Reece’s record Monday morning as he was putting together final stats from the Friday night game. Reece recorded 14 tackles.
Rebel fans were also anxiously awaiting news of where the team will play in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state playoffs. This will mark the eighth straight year, every year since Cheatham arrived on campus, Fannin County will see post season action.
The Rebels suffered a 45-7 region loss at Gordon Lee, leaving the team with a 4-3 record in A D1 Region 7. This put them in a third place tie with Gordon Central. The Rebels ended the regular season with a 5-5 worksheet overall.
The Rebels started Thursday night’s game in good field position when Brody Burnette called a fair catch on the opening kickoff at the Rebels 40 yard line.
The Rebels moved down field behind the running of Bryson Cole, but were ultimately forced to punt.Casen Bailey’s kick pinned the Trojans at their own nine yard line.
The Trojans struck quickly, scoring on their third play from scrimmage and taking a 7-0 lead with the extra point.
The following Rebel drive carried the game into the second quarter before the hosts forced a turnover on downs.
The Rebel defense went to work with six stops led by Reece, Isaiah Stephens,
and Brayden Walker, but a Trojan runner ended the drive as he made his way to the end zone. With the extra point, the Trojans extended their lead to 14-0 midway through the second quarter.
Conrad Head recovered an onside kick attempt at the 41 yard line, but the Rebels offense was again stopped.
Bailey’s punt again pinned the Trojans deep, this time at their own six yard line, only to have a runner break away and cover the length of the field for six points. Their extra point increased the home team lead to 21-0.
The Rebel offense couldn’t maintain a drive and Bailey was again forced to punt.
The Gordon Lee offense took over with the same results as their first possessions, increasing their advantage to 28-0.
As the clock moved toward halftime, the Rebels turned the ball over over on downs 33 yards short of the Gordon Lee goal line.
The a deep Trojan pass into the corner of the end zone added six more points to the home scoreboard. With the extra point, the hosts held a 35-0 advantage with just 31 seconds left to play in the first half.
With his first half tackles, Reece broke the all-time tackling record for the Rebels, beating Cooper Born’s record set last season.
The hosts received the opening kickoff and their offense continued to do what it had done all game, put six points on the board. With the extra point, the Trojans extended their lead to 42-0.
Braxton Cheatham returned the kickoff to the 32 yard line where Fannin County would start its only scoring drive of the night.
The Rebels marched down field behind runs by Cole and Nate O’Neal, added an O’Neal to Cheatham pass, and then scored on a six-yard run by Cole for the touchdown. The score came late in the third quarter. With Matthew Ponton’a extra point, the Rebels put up 7 to the Trojans’ 42.
The Trojans marched down the field on their following drive, eventually kicking a 32 yard field goal to add three more points. The hosts held a 45-7 lead as the final quarter ticked away.
The Rebel offense took over at the 32 yard line where O’Neal broke away to flip the field, giving the Rebels a first down at the 15 yard line. This is where a holding penalty and three incomplete passes brought the game to its end.