The Fannin County High School Rebels punched their ticket to the GHSA AA State Football Playoffs with a 41-14 road victory over region opponent Haralson County Friday, November 3.
The Rebels waited until late in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead and never looked back, putting their final touchdown on the board off a pick six by Lawson Sullivan.
Matthew Ponton kicked off to the 12 yard line to start the game and Braxton Cheatham stopped the return man at the 33 yard line. Two defensive stops by Cooper Born and a third by John Holsonback forced a Haralson punt. The Rebels took over at their own13 yard line.
Despite a first down by quarterback Lawson Sullivan and a ten yard run by Judah Wood, Haralson forced the Rebels to punt away on their first offensive possession.
Led by a tackle in the backfield by Baylor Twiggs and Braden Taylor, and stops by Born, Paskill, Holsonback, and Taylor, the Rebels forced their hosts to turn the ball over on downs.
That set up the Rebels’ first touchdown march. A Sullivan to Taylor pass gained over 30 yards, but a penalty walked the Rebels back for a first down at the 50 yard line. Wood and Sulivan took turns carrying the ball downfield before Sullivan found Cheatham in the end zone for a touchdown. Ponton’s extra point sailed through the uprights giving Fannin a 7-0 lead with just over 30 seconds left in the first quarter.
Ponton kicked to the ten yard line and Holsonback and Elijah Weaver stopped the Haralson returner at the 35 yard line. Paskill made the stop to end the first quarter.
The Rebel defense forced a punt and Fannin took over at their 29 yard line.
Carries by Wood and Sullivan, and passes from Sullivan to Weaver and Taylor moved the ball downfield before Sullivan hit Dockery in the endzone for a touchdown. Ponton’s extra point was good and the Rebels extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter.
Ponton kicked it away and Haralson took over the 36 yard line. CJ Reece and Noah Burnette made the first two stops. The Born and Reece duo made the next two stops. Reece tackled the runner bringing up fourth and two. Haralson went for it and got the first down. An outside run by Haralson put them in the endzone, and their extra point was good, closing the Rebels’ lead to 14-7.
The Rebels rebounded as Paskill returned the kickoff to the 35 yard line. After Wood picked up four yards, Sullivan kept it for a 40 yard run. He kept it again for five. After a Sullivan to Born completion, he Rebels went for it on fourth down and Sullivan found Taylor in the end zone to add six more points. Ponton’s extra point was good giving the Rebels a 21-7 lead with just over a minute left in the half.
Conrad Head and Born made defensive stops, and Dockery was in coverage for a long incomplete pass. Haralson’s field goal attempt was short to end the first half.
The Rebels took the second half kickoff and started on their 30 yard line. The drive ended on a Sullivan touchdown run. A bad snap led to no extra point, and the Rebels sitting atop a 27-7 lead.
Haralson’s offense saw big defensive stops by Taylor, Dockery, Holsonback, Head, Jacob Dye, and Jacob Green before a Haralson runner found his way around the outside and into the end zone. The touchdown plus the extra point made the score 27-14.
Haralson tried an on side kick but Holsonback saw it coming and fell on it at the 43. Wood and Sullivan again combined to move the ball on the ground before Sullivan passed to Dockery for a first down and then some. Taylor gained six yards on the ground and on the next play completed a pass to Weaver for a touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was no good making the score 33-14 in Fannin’s favor.
Scott Waldrep made the stop on the kickoff as Haralson fumbled and then recovered to the end third quarter.
Haralson ate up the clock while managing two first downs then Sullivan made the read and picked off the pass taking it to the end zone for a pick six. Sullivan walked it in for two points extending the lead to 41-14.
Ponton kicked off to the 10 yard line and Waldrep made the stop on the return at the 33 yard line. Born, Reece, Dockery, and the entire Rebel defensive line made the going touch for Haralson before Head made a big play with an interception near the ten yard line and took it to the 33 yard line where he was forced out of bounds.
Haralson’s defense forced the Rebels to punt on the offensive series that followed. Born and Isaac Watkins made the stop and then Reece made the final tackle off the game.
With the 41-14 victory, the Fannin Rebels will play in the first round of the GHSA AA State Playoffs at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw, GA, Saturday, November 11, at 6 p.m.