The Gilmer High Bobcats’ state football playoff hopes are still alive.
The Cats made their cause for the postseason last Friday at home against the one-win Ridgeland Panthers. GHS excelled on both sides of the ball and built a four-score lead before RHS finally found the end zone.
Gilmer cruised to a 27-7 victory to improve to 5-5 on the season. GHS finished fifth in the region standings with a 3-3 mark.
While in past years fifth place would have brought an end to a season, the Cats’ playoff aspirations remain because of newly implemented postseason power rankings. GHS is ranked 29th and 32 teams will make the playoffs. The playoff field will be finalized Sunday, Nov. 10.
“We got beat the past two weeks by two good football teams and sustained some injuries along the way,” said head coach Paul Standard. “A lesser group of kids would have folded. Our coaches have done a good job of keeping our kids together, and I can’t tell you how proud I am of our senior leaders.
“I’m proud for our community. You’ve got to find positive things when you’ve got young men who have worked their tails off. This is the third year without a losing (regular) season. That hasn’t happened since 2012-14. I’m proud these guys were part of it. It was just a great night.”
Bo Cronic operated the offense with quarterback Issac Rellinger out with an injury. Gilmer did not attempt a pass and finished with 424 rushing yards on 57 attempts. It was the Bobcats’ highest rushing total of the season and third time they topped 400 yards.
Gilmer’s defense held the Panthers to 99 yards of total offense, and 66 came on their lone fourth quarter touchdown drive. GHS made six stops for losses or no gain and limited RHS to eight first downs.
“I’m proud of our kids. We’ve been down,” Standard said. “Bo did a great job directing the offense, and he’s getting a little better. Our offensive line played well, and we had a bunch of backs touch the ball. Of course the main guy was the fullback (Wyatt Stokes), and he’s done a great job.
“Our defense did tremendous. This team has scored points on every team they’ve played, and they’ve scored legitimate points. They scored 28 on Northwest Whitfield (who held GHS to 10).”
While Stokes was the workhorse with 19 rushes for 97 yards, fellow senior and wingback Kyle Cowart was the top ground gainer with 144 yards on eight carries. Wingbacks Hunter Britain and Douglas Callihan added 77 and 58 yards, respectively.
Gilmer’s offense chipped away for short gains and gouged the Panthers’ defense for chunks of yardage outside. That trend began on Gilmer’s opening series and continued through all four quarters.
The Bobcats’ first two respective touchdown possessions covered 77 and 93 yards and needed 10 and 12 plays to reach paydirt. Britain’s 32-yard run off the right edge and Callihan’s rushes of 16 and 19 yards highlighted the two drives.
Stokes cashed in a touchdown of 6 yards and his second was from a yard out. Carter Gearhart made his first extra point attempt, and GHS opted to go for two after Stokes’ second score but were stopped short.
With 5:50 left in the half, Ridgeland trailed, 13-0. The Panthers’ first two drives ended with punts. Bobcat senior linebacker Memphis Lewallen suplexed Ridgeland’s quarterback to derail its first drive. Grant Ballew, Jake Hice and Cheyne Smith were in the Panthers’ backfield to hamper their second series.
The Panthers were forced to punt both times, and RHS also punted on its third and final drive of the half.
GHS gained three first downs on its third drive of the game but turned the ball over on downs.
A fog began to roll in to start the third quarter, and it only got more dense as the half progressed and visibility worsened.
Ridgeland punted on its first two drives of the second half. Meanwhile, GHS added 14 more points to its side. The Cats’ third touchdown drive was eight plays and 86 yards. Cowart’s 59-yard gallop off the right edge set up Cronic’s 12-yard touchdown run.
Cronic pitched to Cowart off the right corner on Gilmer’s next drive, and he burned the defense for 26 more yards. The nine-play, 79-yard drive ended with a 6-yard Callihan run up the middle.
Gearhart’s third successful extra point gave GHS a 27-0 lead with 10:01 to play.
After five straight punts, RHS scored on its sixth series. A short pass to a receiver in the foggy abyss resulted in a 43-yard touchdown. The eight-play, 66-yard drive trimmed the Cats’ lead to 20 points with 4:46 to play before they ran out the clock.
Rellinger took the field for a final time on Gilmer’s last drive. With a brace on his left knee, he lined up running back and quarterback A.J. Callihan took the snap and knelt.
Gilmer and its region mates are off this week as teams from around the state make up games that were originally postponed because of hurricane Helene. The first round of the playoffs are set for Friday, Nov. 15.