The Gilmer Bobcats lost the game and some key players to injuries on both sides of the ball.
The No. 8 ranked Calhoun Yellow Jackets were in Ellijay last Friday for a Region 7-3A tilt, and Gilmer showed plenty of grit in defeat. Senior quarterback Issac Rellinger was knocked out of the game on the Cats’ second drive, and the offense did not take many chances in his absence.
The Bobcat defense held Calhoun to one touchdown in the first half, and the Yellow Jackets added two more in the second. A late Bobcat touchdown cut the Jackets’ margin of victory to 20-6.
Head coach Paul Standard assessed the Bobcats and their effort after the game.
“I’m dang proud of them. I’m so proud of our team,” Standard said. “I’m proud of (back-up quarterback) Bo Cronic for coming in during a tough situation and playing both ways. I’m proud of our players. They never ducked their heads or felt bad for themselves. We’re going to come together and stick together.
“Defensively, we played outstanding. We gave them the first seven points when we fumbled, but we played our tails off on defense. That might be the best we’ve played against a good team. This is why we’ll be OK going into the last two games.”
The only teams to hold Calhoun to 20 points or less were three of its nonregion opponents from larger classifications. The Yellow Jackets entered last Friday averaging 40 points per game in region wins over Northwest Whitfield, Adairsville and Ridgeland.
Gilmer limited Calhoun to 243 yards of total offense, and 40 came with just seconds to play as the Yellow Jackets were running out the clock. GHS forced punts on three of six CHS possessions.
In addition to Rellinger, sophomore linebacker and the team’s second-leading tackler, Peyton Chancey, was injured in the third quarter and did not return.
Calhoun’s offense was given a short field to begin the game when GHS fumbled the ball away on the game’s second play.
The 37-yard, six-play touchdown drive was set up by consecutive passes of 6 and 21 yards. A 7-yard fullback dive and extra point put GHS behind 7-0 after four minutes of play.
Gilmer gained three first downs on its next possession. The Cats hit big gains with runs of 14 and 12 yards by wingbacks Douglas Callihan and Kyle Cowart.
Facing third down and 3 from the Jackets’ 26, Rellinger kept the ball toward the right edge. A Calhoun defender dragged him down from behind, and Rellinger’s left leg bent awkwardly underneath him. He left the game and later returned to the sideline wearing warm-up gear and was accompanied by crutches.
Cronic stepped in at quarterback, and on fourth down, Cowart was stopped for no gain.
Without Rellinger directing the offense, GHS stuck with fullback Wyatt Stokes as its runner of choice. Over the remainder of the first half, he handled seven of 11 carries. In the third and fourth quarters, Stokes accounted for 11 of 18 rushes and finished the game with 106 yards.
Calhoun earned four first downs over its final two drives of the half and both ended with punts. GHS punted on its third drive of the game.
Bobcat senior Jake Hice derailed the Jackets’ opening drive of the third quarter with a 6-yard tackle for a loss. CHS punted, and GHS did the same.
The Jackets’ next two drives produced touchdowns. The first was an eight-play, 58-yard series followed by a nine-play, 47-yard possession. Bobcat Hunter Britain blocked Calhoun’s final extra point attempt, and CHS led 20-0 with 9:39 left in the game.
Gilmer punted on its second drive of the half and its third and final possession covered 67 yards. Gilmer ran 12 straight times, and Stokes added seven more rushes to his tally. His 32-yard dive on the fourth play advanced GHS to Calhoun’s 25.
Gilmer eventually set up a 35-yard field goal attempt, but a CHS encroachment penalty gave the Cats a first down. Four plays later, Cronic’s 3-yard keeper over the right side put GHS on the scoreboard.
The hold on the extra point was botched, and Calhoun led by 14 points with 2:53 left in the game. The Jackets recovered Gilmer’s ensuing onside kick and killed the clock.
The Cats did not attempt a pass and were held to 144 yards of offense, their lowest output of the season. The loss dropped Gilmer’s record to 2-2 in the region and 4-4 overall.
Friday’s kickoff at Adairsville is set for 7:30 p.m.
Cats, Tigers tie
A tie marked the end of the junior varsity Bobcats’ season.
GHS was at Dawson County last Thursday, and special teams played a role in the outcome. The two squads traded scores in the first half, and a closely-played third and fourth quarter followed.
The Cats battled back, but a penalty erased the winning field goal to leave the game even at 20-20.
Quarters were trimmed from 10 minutes to eight per Dawson’s request, according to Gilmer coach Drew Gaddy.
Dawson took the opening kickoff all the way to pay dirt and led 6-0 following a failed extra point.
Gilmer answered quickly on the ground. The two-play drive tied the score when wingback Cheyne Smith broke loose for a 56-yard touchdown.
On the Tigers’ next series, Bobcat Nate Wisely intercepted a pass to set up the offense in prime field position. However, a GHS fumble gave the ball back to Dawson.
The Tigers drove downfield and scored on a 1-yard run. Bobcat McCoy Sutton blocked the extra point attempt, and DCHS led 12-6 with 5:25 left in the half.
Fullback Landon Ledford and Smith were the Cats’ go-to backs on Gilmer’s ensuing drive. A 3-yard touchdown run by Ledford came before Smith’s two-point conversion for a 14-12 GHS advantage.
Dawson struck before the second quarter buzzer sounded. A touchdown pass and conversion gave the Tigers a 6-point edge headed into the half.
GHS fullback Madden Hopkins was a pain in the Tigers’ side in the second half. He broke multiple tackles on his 12-yard touchdown run to even the score.
The Tigers were poised to go ahead with 3:28 to play, but the Bobcat defense made a stop on their own 1-yard line.
Hopkins rumbled 87 as time ticked away to advance the offense to the Tigers’ 14-yard line. Miguel Reynoso booted a 27-yard field goal through the uprights for a 23-20 GHS lead, but an illegal formation penalty nullified the Bobcats’ efforts.
Reynoso’s ensuing 32-yard attempt had plenty of distance but was wide left.
The Cats’ Thursday game versus Fannin County has been canceled. Gilmer ended the JV season with a 4-1-1 record.