Gilmer kept its playoff hopes alive as senior football players were sent off in style.
GHS hosted the Adairsville Tigers last Friday, and the hometown Bobcats led early but had to fight back late. Possessions were at a premium as the Cats’ rushing attack made sure the clock kept ticking away.
Gilmer led by a score at the half, but consecutive Tiger touchdowns in the fourth quarter put GHS behind. However, Gilmer’s fourth touchdown of the night energized the Bobcat faithful, and the defense rose to the occasion to cement their 28-21 victory.
Gilmer did everything this time it did not do last season against Adairsville, according to head coach Paul Standard.
“Our coaches had a great game plan and our defense played outstanding,” he said. “Going back to last year, we lost 28-0 and one (touchdown) was on a pick six when we were trying to make something happen with (quarterback) A.J. (Callihan). We had turnovers, a pot full of penalties and weren’t able to throw the ball.
“Tonight, even though we only completed one, our ability to throw the ball helped us. We had minimal penalties and no turnovers. We scored on every possession aside from the missed field goal.”
Bobcats answer Tiger rally
Gilmer was decidedly in control of the game through three quarters. Adairsville found itself down 20-7 with 11:08 left in the game. AHS started from its 29, and after a 5-yard run by quarterback Braxton Elrod, he went to the air. He connected with Colton Sanford for a 36-yard completion. The two hooked up again on the ensuing play for a 30-yard touchdown.
The drive took just 1:05 off the clock, and the Tigers’ offense was back in business at the Cats’ 48 after recovering an onside kick. AHS benefited from a GHS pass interference on first down, and Elrod rushed four times on the drive. A Gilmer personal foul moved AHS to the 7.
Elrod’s second touchdown pass of the quarter was 4 yards to Evan Hardin and came on the drive’s eighth play. The extra point put them up 21-20 with 6:16 on the clock.
The Tigers attempted another onside kick, and while they did recover it, the ball did not travel 10 yards. GHS took over at Adairsville’s 49 to begin its final touchdown drive of the night.
Facing fourth down and 1, halfback Hunter Britain took a pitch off the right edge for a 19-yard gain. From the 23, A.J. Callihan and fullback Peyton Chancey took care of the final six rushes. Four straight carries for 17 yards by Chancey advanced the Cats to the 1-yard line. A.J. Callihan fumbled the ensuing snap but quickly snatched it off the ground and got behind Chancey and into the end zone.
Britain hit the right edge once again on the option to convert the two-point conversion. The 10-play possession left AHS 1:20 on the clock, and Carter Gearhart’s kickoff into the end zone meant 80 yards stood between AHS and a touchdown.
While the Tigers picked up a first down to their 32, that was as far as they progressed. Four straight incompletions followed as Gilmer players celebrated their impending victory.
“When they scored to go ahead and then all that commotion with the onside kick, our kids could have lost heart and folded up,” Standard said. “That happened about four years ago, but that didn’t happen this time. These seniors weren’t going to let that happen. I’m just dang proud of them.”
Bobcats rule early
Gilmer showed its might on both sides of the ball, and its night got rolling with a touchdown drive. The offense went to work at its 35, and its regular cast of characters began churning out yards on the ground. Chancey hit the middle while Britain, A.J. Callihan and halfback Douglas Callihan tested the edges.
The Cats did attempt a pass on the 12-play drive, but all yards came on the ground. Chancey’s 7-yard touchdown and Gearhart’s point after gave Gilmer a 7-0 lead. GHS took 6:19 off the clock before the defense made its first of two stops in the first half.
AHS rolled the dice when it faced fourth down and 1 from its 36. Elrod was stopped shy of the first down, and Gilmer received prime field position. However, GHS settled for a 30-yard field goal, and Gearhart’s kick was wide left.
AHS then lined up to go for it again on fourth and 1, but Gilmer jumped offside. The Tigers punted four plays later, and Gilmer’s next touchdown drive got underway at its 20.
Following Chancey’s 8-yard pickup on first down, Gilmer threw it again. A.J. Callihan rolled to his right before hitting Douglas Callihan in stride across the middle. After making his way across the 50, Callihan hurdled a defender at the Tigers’ 45 and rumbled his way to the 28.
GHS then faced fourth down and 5, and a counter with Britain resulted in a 14-yard gain. Chancey handled the remaining two carries, and his last one took GHS into the end zone from 4 yards out.
Gearhart’s extra point gave the Cats a 14-point edge with 6:13 before the half.
The Tigers finally got their offense going on their third series. When not passing, Elrod continued to be Adairsville’s runner of choice, and his 19-yard run moved the Tigers into GHS territory. Completions of 23 and 13 yards also accounted for first downs. The 65-yard drive culminated on the 12th play with Elrod’s 7-yard touchdown run.
AHS received the second half kickoff losing, 14-7. Gilmer’s defense forced a three and out, and the offense returned to the field at its 23.
GHS strung together a 17-play clock-melting drive. The Cats earned five first downs and converted four third downs and a fourth down. The 77-yard, 11 minute drive concluded with a 1-yard Chancey touchdown before AHS mounted its comeback.
Gilmer limited the Tigers to 140 passing yards and 78 rushing. GHS finished with 237 rushing yards and has topped 200 eight times this season.
“I’m proud of our kids,” Standard said. “Adairsville’s a tough and a well-coached team. You can’t ever compare scores. Northwest beat us pretty soundly and Adairsville beat Northwest pretty soundly. So you’d think they’d beat us, but that’s not how it works.
“Our kids played so hard and our offensive line played tremendous. We had to control the quarterback running the football. Last week against Northwest, he ran wild. No. 4 (Sanford) is a good player for them, and I feel like we contained him until the end of the game.”
GHS is 5-4 overall and fifth in the region standings. Gilmer’s playoff power ranking is currently 27th in Class 3A.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance, but we still gotta get some help,” Standard said. “We need Heritage to beat Adairsville to put us in the No. 4 seed. We may still get in on power ranking, and we’ll have to see where we are. I couldn’t be more proud of a group of kids, and we were down to fourth down on the last drive. Then the defense holds them. It’s a great night to be a Bobcat.”
Gilmer travels to Ridgeland Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.