The Bobcats were constantly in LaFayette’s backfield and continually delivered hard hits on its quarterback.
Gilmer High hosted LHS for homecoming last Friday, and the black-clad Bobcats put on a show for their fans. After trading touchdowns in the first half, the Bobcats scored 27 unanswered points to put the game away early in the fourth quarter. LHS tacked on a pair of cosmetic touchdowns with most of its first-teamers on the field, and the Cats earned their first region victory of the season, 41-26.
GHS held LaFayette to 245 yards of offense, and when the Ramblers opted to pass, the Bobcats sacked the LHS signal-caller five times. Gilmer ended its night with 321 rushing yards and averaged 7.6 yards per carry with the first-team offense on the field.
“LaFayette is much improved, and they’ve done a good job and were 4-3 coming into the game,” said head coach Paul Standard.
“They’re a lot more different as a team than they were at this point last year. Our kids didn’t take them lightly, and they played their hearts out. I’m so proud of this group of kids. We’re dealing with more injuries than I maybe ever have in our time here at Gilmer, and maybe more than any time in my (41-year) career. The kids are just battling and battling.”
The Bobcats needed five plays on their opening drive, and fullbacks Peyton Chancey and Madden Hopkins accounted for all yards gained. Hopkins ran twice for 17 total yards. Two plays later, Chancey burst through the left side of the line for a 53-yard gain. He was finally tackled at the 5-yard line and scored on the ensuing play.
Carter Gearhart’s extra point capped the 72-yard drive, and GHS led 7-0 less than three minutes into the game.
LaFayette responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive, and the Ramblers used quarterback scrambles and short passes to move into Bobcat territory. On the ninth play, running back Hagen English broke a 34-yard touchdown run.
With the score even and three minutes left in the quarter, the teams traded punts. Douglas Callihan batted down the Ramblers’ third-down pass, but LaFayette had other things on its mind on fourth down.
LHS opted for a fake punt from its 44, and the Bobcats were there to stop the Rambler runner 3 yards shy of a first down.
The Cats took advantage of a short field beginning at the Ramblers’ 41. Chancey and Douglas Callihan traded the first six rushes for a pair of first downs.
On the seventh play, halfback Hunter Britain settled behind the block of pulling guard Jamie Bautista before both Chancey and tight end Robert Pim flattened LHS defenders. Britain waltzed into the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.
Gilmer led 14-7 with 7:46 left in the half, and LHS tied the score quickly. The four-play, 59-yard possession ended with a 40-yard touchdown pass, though it appeared the ball hit the turf before it was finally secured by the Rambler receiver.
The Cats got the ball back with 5:55 on the clock, and they drained all but 15 seconds off it.
GHS mixed in one pass on the 13-play drive, which was a 12-yard completion to halfback Cheyne Smith. Quarterback A.J. Callihan handled five of the carries on the drive, and his 20-yard keeper on the eighth play set up a first down at the Ramblers’ 8. A.J. Callihan rushed two more times, and Douglas Callihan scored was a 2-yard touchdown.
The Bobcats had issues on the extra point and led 20-14 at the half.
GHS got the second half rolling with three unanswered touchdowns. After a shanked LHS punt, Gilmer took over at the Ramblers’ 36. On the fourth play, A.J. Callihan’s 4-yard keeper added six more points for the Cats. Gearhart’s successful kick was his third of five extra points on the night.
Down 27-14, LHS was stifled by the Bobcat defense. Cornerback McCoy Sutton made a tackle for a loss before Douglas Callihan’s sack set LHS back 8 more yards. LaFayette punted from its 30, but Britain was unable to cleanly field the ball, and LHS recovered at the Cats’ 31.
Twenty-five yards in penalties pushed LHS back to the 48, and on third down, GHS was in the backfield once again. This time Douglas Callihan, Denny Ramirez, and Robert Pim teamed up for a sack to force another punt.
Gilmer took over at its 27 and needed six plays for its fifth touchdown. Chancey’s 23-yard romp on the first play of the series sparked the offense, and five more rushes followed. With Chancey’s 3-yard touchdown, the Cats led 34-14 in the last minute of the third quarter.
As Gilmer’s lead grew and penalties mounted for LaFayette, the game became chippy.
LHS returned the kickoff for a touchdown, but a holding penalty took the points off the scoreboard. Three incompletions followed before another Rambler fake punt attempt. On fourth down and 15 from its 20, LHS kept the ball on the ground and only gained 3 yards.
Douglas Callihan hit the left edge for a 22-yard pickup on first down. Hopkins took the ball in the end zone on the next play for a 41-14 lead with 11:21 left in the game.
LHS gained a first down with a 42-yard pass on its next drive before facing more Bobcat resistance. Douglas Callihan and Ramirez teamed up for a sack on third down and 4 from the Cats’ 28. Pim then wrapped up LaFayette’s quarterback, who threw the ball away while falling and was flagged for intentional grounding.
Late-game sparks
With 5:51 to play, GHS inserted its reserves on both sides of the ball while LaFayette kept its starters in the game. LHS went on to score on touchdown drives of 47 and 34 yards. Both came after Gilmer opted to run up the middle when it twice faced fourth down and long.
The Ramblers went to the air on both drives and also ran a reverse for a long gain. Following LaFayette’s final touchdown, which made the score 41-26 with six seconds to play, LHS called a timeout to set up a two-point converstion play. Standard put Gilmer’s first-team defense back on the field, and the Bobcats denied the Ramblers to cement their 16-point win.
Following the play, Standard made his way onto the field and stopped near the hash marks and addressed LaFayette’s sideline.
Standard reserved comment when asked about the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
The teams did not shake hands after the game. Standard and LHS head coach Ethan Thompson, who were flanked by their respective athletic directors, eventually spoke briefly at midfield.
“I was proud of our kids and how they handled this whole week,” Standard said. “We were 0-2 in the region and had gotten beat pretty good. There were so many guys who played well, and I don’t know what the starting lineup will look like next week, but we’re going to have to piece something together. I know whoever we put in there, they’re going to give us everything they’ve got.
“We still have a chance to get in the playoffs and obviously have a big test coming up against Calhoun, but our kids are going to come ready to play. Today was a great night, and we got a lot of kids in the game too.”
GHS travels to No. 3-ranked Calhoun (5-2) Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.