The Fannin County High School Rebels football team wrapped up their 2024 season with a 39-48 playoff loss against the Northeast High School Raiders out of Macon, Georgia, in the Elite Eight match up between the two Class A powerhouses, Friday, November 29.
The Rebels received the opening kickoff but went three and out and were forced to punt.
Starting from their own 39 yard line, the Raider drive was stopped after a single first down when Tucker Dockery came away with an interception.
Lawson Sullivan started a march down field with an 18 yard run. Runs by Sullivan and Carson Callihan were followed by a Sullivan pass to Cannon Holloway that put the Rebels in the end zone, and with Matthew Ponton’s extra point, the Rebels led 7-0.
The Rebel defense again stopped the Raiders, this time forcing a fourth down and a punt that pinned the Rebels at their own 15 yard line.
A 22-yard run by Callihan and 16-yard pass from Sullivan to Braden Taylor highlighted the drive that ended with Sullivan carrying the ball into the end zone. Ponton added the extra point with the kick, giving Fannin County a 14-0 advantage.
A touchdown was saved on the kickoff return when Reid Holloway tackled a runaway Raider returner.
The first quarter then ended after defensive stops by Luke Holsonback and CJ Reece.
A few plays later, the Raiders put their first points on the board with a touchdown run, then hit a short pass to complete a two-point conversion and close the gap to 14-8.
The Rebels started another six point march, fueled by Sullivan and Callihan runs and passes to Elijah Weaver. Sullivan finished the drive with the touch down then with a Ponton extra point, the Rebels led 21-8.
Scott Waldrep recovered the Rebels’ onside kick at the Raiders’ 45 yard line. The drive ended with a field goal from Ponton, giving Fannin County a 24-8 lead in the second quarter.
Another onside kick was recovered by Noah Burnette, but this drive ended with the Rebels being forced to punt, and this time the Raiders marched down the field to score and close the gap to 24-15, where the first half ended.
After having dominated the scoreboard in the first half, the Rebels saw the tide turn in the final two quarters.
To start the half, Ponton kicked off, and the Raider offense followed with a march to the goal line. Six points later, after the two-point conversion attempt failed, the Raiders had closed the gap to 24-21.
The Raider defense stiffened again and forced a Fannin County punt on the drive following the kickoff.
The Raiders again drove to put six points on the board, followed by a conversion kick, and take their first lead of the game at 28-24.
The Rebels answered with a touchdown of their own on a 74 yard Sullivan run. Ponton’s extra point made the score 31-28 halfway through the third quarter.
The Raiders began a march after the kickoff, but the Rebel defense held and Fannin County’s offense took over on downs at their own 27 yard line.
Defense was again the name of the game, and Fannin County was forced to punt.
The third quarter ended with the ball in Raider hands and Fannin leading 31-28.
Northeast came away with six points and added an extra point kick to take a 35-31 lead early in the fourth quarter.
After being held to three and out, Fannin County punted, and the Raiders took over on their own 35 yard line.
The Raiders picked up 60 yards on a single run before finishing the drive with seven points to lead 42-31.
The Rebels took over at their 27 and put six points on the board on a 31-yard Sullivan-to-Taylor pass after runs by Sullivan and Callihan. With a two point try that was no good, the Rebels had closed the gap to 37-42.
The Raiders took over on their 29 yard line, then a first down was followed by a score. The extra point attempt was no good, and the score was 48-37 as the fourth quarter ticked away.
On the drive following the kickoff, a Sullivan pass to Taylor, plus a targeting penalty on the Raiders, put the Rebels at the 16 yard line in Northeast territory. Sullivan kept the ball for eight, then an intercepted pass gave the Raiders the ball.
The Raiders managed a first down despite three consecutive stops by Jacob Dye. The drive stopped when a loose punt lead to a Fannin County safety, making the score 48-39 in favor of the Raiders.
The Rebels final drive ended on an incomplete pass.
Fannin County finished the 2024 football season with a 12-1 record and as Region Champions with an Elite Eight run.