The Fannin County High School Rebels traveled to Gilmer County for their second week match up against the Bobcats, only to fall 49-65 in a long-fought football game.
The Rebels began the game on offense with sophomore Elijah Weaver at quarterback. Weaver connected with Corbin Davenport on the first play, but a penalty left the Rebels with a first and 15. Carson Callihan caught the next pass and ran it for a Fannin County first down at the 28 yard line. Davenport caught another pass and fell just one yard short of the end zone. This set the Rebels up for the first touchdown of the game, and with Jack Kantner’s extra point field goal, the score was 7-0 with two and a half minutes into the game.
Kantner’s kickoff went into the end zone. The Bobcats took over at the 20 and advanced with a first down at the 31. Cade Sands forced a fumble, but it was recovered by Gilmer.
A few plays later, the Bobcats broke away for a touchdown. The field goal attempt was good, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:48 seconds left in the first quarter.
Senior Bryson Holloway returned the kickoff to give the Rebels excellent field position at the 30 yard line. A penalty on the Bobcats gave Fannin a second and five, but the offense stalled and the Bobcats took over at the 25 yard line. Another break away run by Gilmer put six more Bobcat points on the board, and the first quarter ended in the hosts’ favor 14-7.
To begin the second quarter, Weaver handed off to Callihan for a first down at the 41 yard line, followed by another series of runs by Callihan for two more first downs. This put the Rebels at the 27 yard line where Weaver kept it for the gain of five yards. Callihan later broke free for 15 yards, three yards short of the goal line. The offensive line created a gap for Weaver to score, and Kantner’s field goal was good. The game was tied 14 to 14 just under the eight minute mark of the second quarter.
Kantner’s kickoff found the end zone again, and Bobcats took over at the 20 yard line. Cooper Born made the first stop of the series, and a penalty on the Bobcats walked it back another ten yards. Gilmer called a time out and came back with a pass that led to a long touchdown, making the score 21-14 with 7:20 left in the half.
The Rebels took over at midfield on a short kickoff. Weaver connected with Davenport for a first down, and Callihan ran the ball for a gain of around five yards, but a penalty backed up the gain. Weaver found Sands for a first down. Sands then carried the ball for another four yards, and Davenport caught a pass for a first down at the seven yard line. After a timeout, Davenport raced across the goal line for a Rebel touchdown.
Kantner’s extra point tied the game 21-21 with just under three minutes left in the half. Kantner’s kick again reached the end zone. Sands made the first stop, but Gilmer made it down the field for another touchdown, claiming a 28-21 with just under two minutes left in the first half.
The Bobcats managed to get the ball back for one last series in the half. Sands, again, made the first stop for the Rebels, but after a Gilmer County timeout, the Bobcats found the end zone for a 35-21 lead.
B. Holloway returned the kickoff for about 17 yards for the Rebels. Davenport fought hard as he carried a defender on his back for a Fannin County first down. Weaver found B. Holloway for a gain of eight yards, but the clock ran down and ended the half with Gilmer County up 35-21.
Fannin County struck fast and hard to start the second half. Kantner’s onside kickoff was recovered by the Rebels at the 47 yard line. Callihan’s combination of runs earned a first down and a gain of about seven. Weaver then connected to Davenport for a first down around the Bobcat’s 11 yard line. Callihan ran for a gain of four and then Davenport kept it for a touchdown. Kantner’s field goal put the Rebels at 28 points to the Bobcat’s 35. Gilmer took over at the 50 yard line, but a flag on the play brought them to Fannin’s 35. Baylor Twiggs and CJ Reece, both freshmen, make the stops for the Rebels defensively. Seniors Jeremy Tammen and Sands made another stop for Fannin. The Bobcats found a first down, before Tammen made a tackle for loss on Gilmer. But the Bobcats found the in zone, adding another touchdown and an extra point to to take a 42-28 lead.
The Rebels struggled to find offensive momentum, so Kantner boomed a 50-yard punt on fourth down. Defensively, Davenport made a stop for loss on the first play. This was followed by Clay Heaton and Braden Taylor making stops further down the field to end the third quarter.
Senior Logan Long made the first stop of the fourth quarter for the Rebel defense. After that, Gilmer County squeezed through the middle and ran the ball in for a touchdown. The field goal attempt was good, giving Gilmer a 49-58 lead with two minutes to go in the game.
The Rebel offense took over at the 20 yard line but didn’t get anything rolling. Kantner hit another punt in the 50-yard range. When the Bobcats’ offense took over, Davenport and Sands both made quick stops for the Rebels. Tammen, Long and Nate Maloof each made tackles for the Rebels and brought the offense back on the field. Then, Weaver connected to Davenport for a first down that was followed by a quick pass to Sands for another first down. Carson Collis caught a pass for a gain of about six yards, then Born got the ball within eight yards of the end zone. Weaver found Corbin Davenport who scored the final touchdown of the game for the Rebels, and Kantner’s field goal was good, the game ending 49-35 in favor of the hosts.
The Rebels will host their first home game of the season Friday, September 2, when the Pickens County Dragons come to town. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Fannin County High School Stadium. Rec league players will be introduced prior to the game.