The Fannin County Rebel football team cruised to the sweet sixteen round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Football Playoffs when they topped the Bremen Blue Devils 45-14 in front of the Rebels home crowd Friday, November 12.
The Blue Devils won the toss and elected to receive as Fannin kicked off. Bremen started at their own 22 yard line, and strung together a solid drive that landed them at Fannin’s 28 yard line. Seth Reece, Logan Long and Cade Sands had some big defensive plays for the Rebels and forced Bremen to try for a field goal. The field goal was no good as the Rebels took over from their own 28 yard line with 8:38 to go in the first quarter.
Cason Owensby ran for three yards and with help from a facemask penalty by Bremen, Fannin moved the chains to their own 38 yard line. Reece loaded up and found Sands on a nice six yard pass, followed by Reece breaking off a nice run to the Blue Devil’s 49 yard line.
Fannin made it all the way down to Bremen’s 37 yard line, before not being able to convert and punting the ball back to the Blue Devils. Bremen was only able to gain three yards before Fannin forced a punt. The Blue Devils punt went all the way down to the one yard line.
The Rebels could not generate a drive being backed up so deep as they punted back to Bremen. The Blue Devils took over at Fannin’s 33 yard line with 1:36 to go in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils fumbled on the first play of the drive, and Reece was able to fall on the football and give the ball back to the Rebels at their own 30 yard line.
This time Fannin would not be denied as Reece was able to find Carson Collis for a nice 30 yard bomb down the field to put the Rebels at Bremen’s 40 yard line. A few plays later Reece found Hayden Lynch on a 37 yard pass to put the Rebels at first and goal at the Blue Devils three yard line to end the first quarter.
A false start backed the Rebels up, but Reece would not be denied as he punched it in from four yards out to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead after the extra point by Jack Katner with 9:22 to go in the second quarter.
Bremen was able to answer on their drive, however, as they scored on a 23 yard touchdown pass and tied the game 7-7 after the extra point with 9:22 to go in the second.
It took the Rebels just 13 seconds to reclaim the lead as Carter Mann returned the Blue Devil kick for a touchdown. After the extra point by Kantner, the Rebels lead 14-7 and never lost the lead again.
Bremen got the ball and started to drive, but a fumble halted the Blue Devils as Waldrep fell on the ball to give it back to Fannin at Bremen’s 33 yard line.
Reece found Lynch on a 21 yard rope to put the Rebels at the Blue Devils 12 yard line. Reece then dropped back and hit Corbin Davenport on a nice 11 yard touchdown snag and after the extra point, led 21-7 where the score remained until halftime.
Fannin got the ball to start the third quarter as they made it to Bremen’s 45 yard line, but were forced to punt by the stout Blur Devil defense. Long, Mann and Owensby had some big stops for the Rebels as they forced the Blue Devils to punt back to Fannin.
The punt went out of bounds at Bremen’s 35 yard line as Reece once again found Lynch for a 34 yard pass to set Fannin up at the Blue Devils one yard line. Reece muscled his way into the endzone on the next play for a one yard touchdown run, and after the extra point led 28-7 with 6:31 to go in the third quarter.
The Blue Devils got the ball back but were forced to punt because of Andrew Waldrep and Owensby making big plays. The Rebels got the ball back and went to the air as Reece found Lynch once again, this time for a 44 yard touchdown dart. After the extra point, Fannin increased their lead 34-7 with 3:19 to go in the third.
The Fannin Rebels forced a quick punt and were able to score once more in the third as Reece galloped into the endzone from 19 yards out and after the extra point, Fannin blew the game open 42-7 with 21 seconds to go in the third quarter.
Fannin was able to tack on a field goal in the fourth, as Katner was money from 42 yards out to increase Fannin’s lead 45-7 with 8:15 to go in the game.
The Blue Devils were able to score a touchdown on a 39 yard run, but there was not enough time to mount a comeback as Fannin topped the Blue Devils 45-14.
Reece finished the game with two touchdowns through the air, and three rushing touchdowns along with 77 rush yards and 220 passing yards. Lynch finished the evening with six catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, while Davenport had three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown.
The Rebels will host Fitzgerald Friday, November 19, in round two of the state playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.