The Gilmer Bobcats could have named their score, and it appeared that 35 points were enough for head coach Paul Standard.
Gilmer’s option attack found success no matter who carried the ball versus Murray County last Friday. GHS scored on all of its first half possessions, and by the second quarter, Gilmer started to shuffle reserves into the game.
The Bobcats took a five touchdown lead into the half, and a GHS turnover allowed Murray to score in the last minute of the game. Gilmer returned to Ellijay with a sound 35-7 victory for its second nonregion win of the season.
Standard was happy to see how GHS performed after losing to rival Fannin County a week prior.
“I was real pleased as to how our guys bounced back from the Fannin game,” Standard said. “That was huge, no matter who we played. Obviously everyone was disappointed with that loss, but our kids didn’t come to practice with a long face (last) Monday. I was pleased with how they approached the entire week, and it showed.
“Our kids did a great job executing. Last year, we were kind of sloppy against Murray on offense. I thought we played a real clean game in the first half offensively.”
The Bobcat defense was equally impressive. They limited the Indians to 116 yards of total offense and only allowed one first down through two quarters of play.
Gilmer’s longest drive of the first half was nine plays, but its first only needed three to reach the end zone.
Bobcat halfback Kyle Cowart took a second down hand-off 45 yards to Murray’s 14-yard line. On the next play, quarterback Issac Rellinger kept the ball around the left side as well, and his touchdown accounted for the first points of the night.
Kicker Noah Turner made his first of five successful extra points, and GHS led 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.
The Bobcats’ next drive spanned 61 yards on nine plays. After back-to-back runs by fullback Wyatt Stokes moved the Bobcats to Murray’s 31, next up was Rellinger. His 24-yard run advanced the Cats all the way down to the 7. However, a block in the back moved the ball back to the 34.
Following a short gain by halfback Hunter Britain, another holding penalty pushed the Bobcats back to the 40. GHS received a fresh set of downs when Britain hit the right edge for a 16-yard pickup to the Indians’ 24.
Rushes by Stokes and halfback Douglas Callahan progressed the offense to the 9. Facing second down and goal, Cowart took a 9-yard sweep around the left corner untouched and into the end zone for a 14-0 lead following Turner’s extra point.
The third drive of the night needed only two plays to reach pay dirt. Starting from their 43, the Bobcats moved up 5 yards because of an Indian penalty before Rellinger passed to tight end Tyler Wright, who was wide open down the middle of the field.
The 50-yard gain set the offense up at the 2-yard line, and Cowart scored on the ensuing play. The touchdown gave Gilmer a 21-0 lead with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.
The fourth time the Bobcats’ offense took the field they needed six plays to add to their expanding lead. Starting from Murray’s 40-yard line, halfback Grant Ballew ran for 5 yards before Stokes picked up 7 more for a first down.
Stokes then carried twice for 10 yards, and then it was Callihan’s turn again. He ran for 6 yards and a first down, and on the ensuing play, Ballew hit the left side for a 12-yard touchdown run.
The six-play series pushed GHS ahead 28-0 with 8:58 left in the first half.
An illegal procedure and face mask penalty slowed the Bobcats on their fifth drive, but it would not keep them from the end zone. On the fourth play, Rellinger passed to Britain out of the backfield, who gained 21 yards and a first down to Murray’s 19.
Fullback Peyton Chancey hit the middle of Murray’s defense for 13 yards and first down and goal at the six-yard line. Two plays later, Callahan tested the left side for a 7-yard touchdown run.
“I was happy our kids did not lose their composure on that drive, and they didn’t let the penalties affect them,” said Standard.
GHS held a 35-0 lead, and Murray received a final possession in the half and punted. A Bobcat penalty allowed the Indians to achieve their initial first down of the game. In the three possessions prior, one ended on downs and two concluded with punts.
Cowart also intercepted a pass from his safety position to set up Gilmer’s third touchdown of the first half. Ahead of their final possession of the second quarter, the Indians had only run 13 offensive plays.
A running clock was put to use at the start of the third quarter as Standard continued to empty his bench.
MCHS received the ball and its offense found success for the first time. The Indians picked up four first downs and moved the ball down to the Bobcats’ 18-yard line. Their drive hit a snag on third and 5 when senior linebacker Aspen Hataway sacked the Indian signalcallar for an 8-yard loss. Their fourth down pass fell incomplete, and GHS took over at its 18.
Bobcat backups took the field on offense in the second half. On two of three possessions, GHS fumbled the ball back to MCHS.
The Indians were unable to take advantage of the first fumble, as the Bobcat defense held strong on the goal line at their 2.
However, Gilmer’s offense coughed up the ball once more. The Indians pounced on the fumble at Gilmer’s 1-yard line and scored on their ensuing offensive play.
GHS fullback Landon Ledford and halfback Ethan McCollum handled the bulk of the carriers on Gilmer’s final series. The Cats gained three first downs to milk the final 5:58 off the clock.
“Murray scored 13 and 25 points in their games before us by throwing the ball all over the place,” Standard said. “I was real pleased with our defense. We tweaked our defense a little bit, we ran really well to the ball and our defensive staff did a great job.
“The takeaway from this game was our kids did not get down (from the week before). I told them (last) Monday, ‘You can’t let that team from the north beat us twice.’”
GHS hosts Ringgold (2-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m.
JV Cats topple North Murray
The junior varsity Bobcats opened their season with a 28-7 victory.
The Cats faced off against host North Murray last Thursday, and Gilmer turned its one score lead at the half into a 21-point win by game’s end.
GHS assistant Drew Gaddy noted that GHS was able to control the line of scrimmage offensively, which led to a Landon Ledford touchdown in the first quarter.
Gilmer maintained a 6-0 edge at the start of the second half, and Ledford’s second rushing touchdown came after the break. North Murray got on the board with a kickoff return and Cats’ led 12-7 with a quarter to play.
Ledford reached pay dirt for his third touchdown, and halfback Jett Burrell tacked on an insurance touchdown to secure Gilmer’s win.
“It was a great defensive effort, and they pitched a shutout with North Murray’s lone score coming on a kickoff return,” Gaddy said.
GHS linebacker Memphis Lewallen led the way with 11 total tackles. He also had a reception for 27 yards from quarterback Jase McCollum.
Rhett McGregor intercepted a pass for GHS, and defensive lineman Tyler Wright continually found himself in North Murray’s backfield. He sacked the Mountaineers’ quarterback and finished with four tackles for a loss.