The Fannin County High School football team earned their first win with a 38-12 victory over Pickens County at the Rebels first home game of the season.
The Rebels started on offense as Corbin Davenport returned the ball for the Rebels. Davenport made a five yard gain after the initial return. This was followed by a Carson Callihan run for a Fannin County first down. Callihan then broke away for 30 yards for a first down at the 30 yard line. Quarterback Elijah Weaver connected to senior Cade Sands for first and goal, but a fumble at the one yard line gave Pickens County the ball.
Davenport made the first stop of the night for the Rebel defense. Senior Clay Heaton made the next play as he swatted down a pass down field to bring up third down. Sands made the tackle for fourth down and the Rebels took over at the Dragon’s 40 yard line.
On the first play, Callihan carried the ball eight yards, then ran it again for a first down. Callihan broke away again for another first down for the Rebels, and with a pick up of an additional three yards, the Rebels were second and goal from the six yard line. Davenport carried the ball for four yards, putting the offense just two short of the goal line. Sands ran it in for a Fannin County touchdown, and Jack Kantner’s extra point was good, making the score 7-0 just under the six minute mark in the first quarter.
Braden Taylor made the stop on the return at the 32 yard line. The next play, Noah Burnette ran the quarterback out of bounds. The Dragons picked up a first down. Then, Sands made a hard hit, knocking the ball out of the hands of the Pickens ball carrier, and Callihan grabbed the loose ball and took off, bringing the offense back on the field. Weaver found Davenport in the back of the end zone for another Rebel touchdown, and with Kantner’s extra point, the score was 14-0.
Kantner made an onside kick and recovered the ball himself. A penalty brought Fannin back five yards, but Weaver found Davenport for a 13 yard gain. Callihan carried the ball for a first down, which was followed by Weaver’s pass to Davenport for first and goal for the Rebels. Callihan ran the ball again for a small gain that was followed by Weaver finding Davenport in the end zone again, adding another touchdown to the Rebels’ score. Kantner’s kick was good, making the score 21-0 near the end of the first quarter.
Kantner, Burnette and Cooper Bron made the stop on the return. Carson Collis made the first stop defensively, and then Collis and Taylor made a stop, but not before a Dragon first down to end the first quarter.
To start the second quarter, Sands and Davenport made the stop for third down, and a holding penalty brought the Dragons back for third and long.
The Rebels took over at the 7 yard line. Weaver hit Davenport with a seven yard pass, then Davenport ran the ball 93 yards all the way to the end zone. With Kantner’s extra point, the score was 28-0 at the beginning of the second quarter.
Kantner’s kickoff sailed into the end zone. The Rebel defense made two stops to bring up second down followed by a tackle for loss for third down. Sands made the stop for the fourth and final down for Pickens.
Davenport returned the punt to midfield, and then Weaver passed the ball to Davenport for another first down. Khole Green ran the ball up the middle, but a holding call on the Rebels brought them back. Green ran it again for eight yards to bring up second and five yards for the Rebels. Weaver’s pass hit Green for another touchdown for the Rebels. Kantner’s extra point was good, making the score 35-0 with six and a half minutes remaining in the first half.
Kantner’s kickoff soared into the end zone yet again. Taylor made the first stop but not before a first down for the Pickens Dragons. Sands then made a stop in the backfield for a loss of three yards. Callihan, Heaton and Barnette made the stop for fourth down, turning the ball back over to the Rebels’ offense.
Davenport returned the punt to the 41 yard line. Senior Bryson Holloway carried the ball for the Rebels, then Weaver looked to C. Collis, but the pass fell incomplete. Kantner punted the ball and Heaton downed it at the five yard line. The Rebels’ defense took back to the field, and Logan Long made the first stop. The defense worked hard to hold them within 10 yards, and a fumble recovered by the Rebels put their offense at the 50 yard line.
Weaver hit Holloway, who ran it just short of a first down, but two penalties brought the Rebels back for third and long. Kantner punted the ball down field and Heaton got down field to down the ball close to the goal line once again to end the half.
Kantner kicked the ball into end zone for Pickens to take over at 20 yard line to start the second half. Born and Taylor made the first stop but not before Picken picked up the first down. Tammen and Long made the second stop at the line of scrimmage. For third down, Tammen and Sands made the tackle. Taylor made the stop but not before a Pickens first down. Collis made the next tackle for the Rebels, and Sands followed with the next.
Fannin got the ball back and the offense took over. On fourth down, Kantner was set to punt but ended up running the ball for a Fannin County first down. Then, Callihan ran it up the side like for another first down, then again for another five yards. Kantner kicked a field goal from the 30 yard line putting the score at 38-0 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
Kantner’s kickoff went went deep and he made the tackle at the 45 yard line. A pass downfield led to a Pickens County touchdown with ten seconds left in the quarter. The extra point attempt was no good making the score 38-6.
The Rebels then took over at the 20 yard line before Judah Wood carried the ball four yards for the last play of the quarter.
In the fourth quater, the Rebels brought in freshman Matthew Ponton at quarterback. Ponton connected with Tucker Dockery for a gain of a three yards. After a few plays, Pickens took over at the 45 yard line. Karson Brown made the first defensive stop of the quarter for the Rebels. Then, Braxton Cheatham broke up a pass way down field. This was followed by Scott Waldrep making a tackle but not before a Dragons first down. Cheatham and Conrad Head made the next stop for the Rebels, and then Waldrep swatted down a potential touchdown pass. A host of Rebels forced the quarterback out of bounds for third down. Then, Pickens picked up a first down bringing up first and goal.Cheatham and Head, again, made the stop after a four yard gain by the Dragons. This was followed by a touchdown run by Pickens. The extra point was blocked by the Rebels making the score 38-12 with 3:07 left in the game.
The Rebels took over at the 20 yard line, and Wood ran the ball to pick up two yards. An encroachment penalty against the Dragons brought Fannin to second and three. Wood ran the ball twice and picked up a Fannin County first down as the clock rolled down to zero.
The game ended with Fannin ahead 38-12.
The Rebels will have a bye week September 9. They will host Murphy, NC, Friday, September 16 at their home field at 7:30 p.m.