A muggy afternoon in Ellijay ended with Fannin County beating Gilmer for the second year in a row.
The football season was set to begin last Friday evening, but hours of lightning strikes postponed the rivalry tilt until the following morning at 11 a.m. The mix of an unfamiliar start time, heat and rivalry emotions were enough ingredients to make for an interesting afternoon.
While the score was tied at the half, the Bobcats started to feel the effects of the weather as players routinely left the game because of cramps in the third and fourth quarters. The visiting Rebels did not appear to struggle to the same extent, and they reeled off four straight touchdowns to build a 21-point lead.
Both coaches inserted junior varsity players by the mid-point of the fourth, and the Rebels came away with a 42-28 win.
Gilmer outgained Fannin 353-318, but the Rebels were more explosive. Fannin’s shortest touchdown play of the day covered 24 yards. Four of six offensive scoring drives needed four plays or less.
The game was chippy from its onset, and the teams combined for 22 penalties.
“I thought our kids gave great effort. They played extremely hard,” head coach Paul Standard said. “We didn’t play extremely smart at times. We made some really undisciplined mistakes that we have addressed with our team, and it’s frustrating when we don’t make those adjustments. If we keep making undisciplined mistakes, we’re going to be disappointed this season. If we make those adjustments, we’re going to be just fine.
“Our kids did a great job in so many areas. I thought our offensive line played well overall. We had a couple passes that were negated by undisciplined type penalties. We had some miscues on defense, and they’re good enough that when that happens, their quarterback (Lawson Sullivan) made us pay. He’s a great kid and a great player.”
Gilmer was flagged for delay of game twice, and the Cats spent two timeouts in the first quarter. One timeout was used when Fannin was nearly able to snap the ball when GHS had 10 players on defense. Throughout the game, Gilmer players were often running onto the field late for special teams.
Standard noted there was “way too much sideline confusion” and that “logistical things need worked out.” He said that would be taken care of at Sunday’s coaches’ meeting.
“In some phases, our special teams were really good; in some phases bad. Our kickoff coverage was not good today. Our new kicker did a fine job, and I’m really proud of him. We had a chance to execute some fake punts. We practice both of those fakes every day. From that standpoint, it’s disappointing,” Standard said.
“Everybody is upset when you lose to your rival. My question will be to our young men, to our staff and to myself is what do we got to do to get things fixed? We’ll get them fixed, and I know we will. There were some great outstanding efforts by many of our guys. Unfortunately, this is the ultimate team sport, and we’ve all got to get on the same page.”
Special teams blunders cost the Cats all afternoon, and they started with the opening kickoff. Bobcat Peyton Chancey was unable to field a side-winding kick, and the Rebels recovered at Gilmer’s 37-yard line.
Two plays later, Sullivan accounted for his first of five touchdowns. With the middle of the field vacant, he passed to an open Elijah Weaver for a 35-yard score. FCHS led 7-0 a mere 41 seconds into the game.
GHS picked up 49 yards on 11 plays on its first drive but eventually punted. The Gilmer defense forced a Fannin punt as well, and the Bobcat offense was back on the field at their 18.
Gilmer faced fourth down and 6 from it 35 and lined up to punt before a chaotic string of events. GHS opted to fake, and snapped the ball to upback Issac Rellinger. He rolled right and completed a 17-yard pass to Grant Ballew for a first down. However, GHS was flagged for an ineligible receiver downfield.
On the next attempt, punter Douglas Callihan was unable to handle the snap. He took several steps to his right before kicking a line drive punt that found a Rebel in the middle of the field. FCHS returned the ball to Gilmer’s 12, but it was negated because the Rebels were penalized for running into Callihan.
Fannin head coach Chad Cheatham made his way all the way out to the hash marks to confront the referee. After he was finally corralled back to the sideline, the ball was returned to the 35. Gilmer faked the punt once again. This time Rellinger kept the ball but was stopped a yard shy of the first down.
The Bobcat defense held strong, and Fannin punted for its second and final time of the game.
GHS embarked on its lone offensive touchdown drive of the half from its 10-yard line. Six Bobcats helped move the offense downfield and it initially came in chunks. Rellinger gained 14 yards on a keeper before completing a 15-yard pass to Kyle Cowart. Ballew then took a pitch 22 yards into FCHS territory.
Hunter Britain ran for 7 yards, Callihan gained 9, and fullback Wyatt Stokes hit the middle for 7 yards to advance to Fannin’s 3. Stokes scored three plays later to cap the 13-play series.
Carter Gearhart made his first of four extra points to even the score at 7-7 with 2:06 left in the half.
FHCS needed just three plays to pull back ahead. Sullivan completed a 15-yard pass on first down and then broke loose on a second down draw for a 50-yard gallop into the end zone.
Back down by seven, GHS had an answer. Britain fielded the ensuing kickoff from Gilmer’s 15. He shot through the middle of Fannin’s coverage and outran the Rebels to pay dirt.
Fannin struck again on special teams to begin the second half. Rebel Braxton Cheatham picked his way through the Bobcats for a 90-yard touchdown return. FCHS led 21-14 just 16 seconds into the third quarter, and the Bobcats never got any closer.
The Cats’ next drive stalled on downs at Fannin’s 34. FCHS put together a six-play possession that concluded with a 25-yard Sullivan touchdown run around the left end.
Rellinger fumbled on the sixth play of Gilmer’s next drive, and Fannin’s offense took over at the Cats’ 42. On the series’ fourth play, Fannin called a play-action pass, and Sullivan tossed a 25-yard touchdown to Noah Burnette.
Down 35-14 with 10:39 left in the game, Gilmer took over at its 25. GHS kept running and 14- and 25-yard gains by Britain and Ballew advanced GHS across the 50. Rellinger then passed to Britain for a 17-yard gain down to Fannin’s 6. Stokes scored on the ensuing offensive play. The 75-yard march needed eight plays, and Gilmer trailed 35-21 with 7:27 on the clock.
GHS was unable to recover its onside kick attempt, and Fannin gained possession at its 48. On the drive’s second play, a Sullivan keeper resulted in a 50-yard touchdown.
Back down by 21 points with 6:30 on the clock, both teams began to shuffle in younger players. Bobcats Landon Ledford, Ryan Rellinger and A.J. Callihan helped move the offense downfield. On the drive’s eighth play, Ledford rushed for 2 yards to conclude the 73-yard touchdown drive.
Fannin drained the remaining minutes off the clock for its sixth win over GHS in the past seven meetings.
“I hope that at some point in the future that our young men can play in the big rivalry game without letting their emotions get the better of them,” Standard said. “We’ve proven we’re able to play in a big game. We did it last year against Pickens, who is a rival, and also against Dawson, Adairsville and Monroe Area. They’ve played with great focus and discipline in big games ... but for some reason against this school I don’t know why (we don’t). We’re going to get that fixed. We did a lot of great things and there was some good effort on defense, too.”
Stokes was Gilmer’s leading rusher with 97 yards on 21 attempts. Britain accounted for 134 total yards. Sullivan rushed for 178 yards on seven attempts and completed 8/13 passes for 106 yards.
Gilmer hosts Union County Friday and kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.