The Fannin County Rebels secured their first playoff win since 1995 when they faced off against a star-studded Pace County football team in the first round of the Region AA State Championship Friday, November 28.
The Rebels played tough, physical football for all four quarters for a huge 28-21 win.
Seth Reece had a career night on offense, getting 22 carries and running for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Luke Holloway played great too, passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns, as well as running for 187 yards and one touchdown. Cason Owensby had a monster game on defense, collecting 10 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Micah O’Neal was a force on defense as well, collecting four tackles for loss.
The Pace Academy Knights won the toss and deferred the ball as the Rebel offense took over at their own 20-yard line after the touchback.
Caleb Postell and the Rebels tried to get something going on offense, but the Knights came out ready to play and forced Fannin to punt.
Pace Academy took over at the Rebels’ 43-yard line and three plays later was able to break away for a 26-yard touchdown run. After the extra point, the Knights led the Rebels 7-0 with 8:43 to go in the first quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff led the Rebels offense to start at their own 20-yard line. Holloway was able to keep the ball for a 12-yard run before the Knights got in the backfield for a sack that ultimately forced the Rebels to punt. The Knights took over at the Rebels’ 41-yard line and began to move the chains. Pace Academy’s drive was halted, however, as Owensby came away with a huge interception to give the Rebels the ball at their own 29-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Holloway ran to the 31-yard line for third and eight.
Holloway found Reece on the next play, who took the catch to the Rebels’ 49-yard line for a first down. Andre Bivens caught an 8-yard pass on the next play to set up second and two at Pace Academy’s 44.
Holloway bolted on the ground on the next play to the 38-yard line for a six yard run to move the chains.
Pace Academy ended up forcing the Rebels to go for it on fourth and four from the Knights 32-yard line, but after an incomplete pass gave the ball back to the Knights as the Rebels turned the ball over on downs.
Pace Academy tried to move the ball, but self inflicting penalties on top of an Owensby tackle for loss, the Knights punted the ball back to the Rebels who took over at their own two yard line.
Reece began powering through defenders as he gained 12 yards on the first play to give the Rebels breathing room at their own 14-yard line.
After a false start penalty, Reece was able to run to the 26-yard line to give the Rebels a fresh set of downs. The Rebels pass on the first down play fell incomplete, as Holloway found Hyde on the next play for a three yard catch to make it third and seven from their own 29-yard line.
The Rebels drew up a beautiful screen play on third down and got the ball to Hyde who completed a 17-yard catch to the Rebels’ 46-yard line for a fresh set of downs. Fannin could not capitalize on the drive however, as they punted the ball back to Pace Academy.
The Knights took over at their own 50-yard line.
They then down to the Rebels 35-yard line before they tried kicking a field goal, but the kick was no good as the Rebels took over at their own 20-yard line.
Reece powered his way to the 33-yard line on the first play for 13-yards on the ground, followed by a 14-yard run to the Rebels’ 47-yard line. A few plays later, Holloway found Hyde for a 22-yard catch to set the Rebels up for a first and 10 at the Knights’ 28-yard line. Reece and Holloway ran to the 21-yard line before a facemask penalty on the Knights set Fannin up at the 14-yard line. The Rebels made it to the 10-yard line where Holloway found Hyde on a 10-yard pass and after the Kantner extra point, tied the game up 7-7 where the score remained until halftime.
Pace Academy got the ball to start the third quarter and just six plays later scored on a 65-yard touchdown catch. After the good extra point the Knights reclaimed the lead 14-7 with 8:50 to go in the third quarter.
The Rebels got the ball and began moving down the field, but an interception gave the Knights the ball at the Rebels’ 37-yard line, where a couple of plays later, they scored from 14 yards out. After the extra point, the Knights led 21-7 with 5:37 to go in the third.
The Rebels got the ball at their own 20-yard line after the touchback, as Holloway ran to the 31-yard line to move the sticks. He then found Hyde on an 11-yard dart to put the Rebels at their own 42-yard line. Holloway then found Bivens who completed a nine-yard catch to the Knights 49-yard line.
After a 3-yard Holloway run, Holloway dropped back and hit Jalen Ingram for a 20-yard pass to put the Rebels at the Knights’ 26-yard line. The Knights got called for a facemask penalty again, and this timeit set the Rebels up at the nine-yad line, where Holloway kept the ball and ran to the three-yard line, then muscled his way to pay dirt on a three-yard touchdown sprint on the next play. After the extra point by Kantner, the Rebels trimmed the lead 21-14 with 3:04 to go in the third quarter.
Pace Academy got the ball at their own 48-yard line as Micah O’Neal and Bivens had big stops. Owensby was able to sack the knights’ quarterback on third and seven to get the Rebels the ball back at their own seven after the punt.
After Reece ran to the 21-yard line, Holloway used his legs to break off a 73-yard scamper to the Knights six yard line where a couple plays later Reece forced his way into the endzone on a one yard run. Pace Academy blocked the field goal as they clung to a 21-20 lead with 40.5 second to go in the third quarter.
The Knights could not get settled in, in the fourth quarter thanks to the Rebels defensive line bringing pressure.Both teams went back and forth until Fannin got the ball and Reece, along with Holloway went to work on the ground. The Rebels bullied their way to the Knights’ nine yard line as Holloway would not be denied the touchdown from nine yards out.
The Rebels elected to go for two and Ingram came down with the ball to give Fannin their first lead of the game as they led 28-21 with 6:53 to go in the fourth.
The Rebels held off the Knights rally and was able to chew clock with Reece and Holloway running it, eventually being able to get into victory formation as the Rebels topped the Pace Academy Knights 28-21.
The Rebels are now set to play Heard County at home Friday, December 4, for the second round of the state playoffs. Kickoff time is set for 7:30 p.m.