The holiday season is still a couple of months away, but the Braymer Bobcats were, by accident or design, in a giving mood last Friday night.
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The holiday season is still a couple of months away, but the Braymer Bobcats were, by accident or design, in a giving mood last Friday night.
Aided greatly by outstanding starting field position, Gallatin knocked off the Bobcats, 27-12, in the opening game of Class 1, District 15 round robin play. Braymer’s on-side kickoff misfires and out-of-bounds punting put Gallatin in position to win. The worst starting field position on Gallatin’s four scoring drives was the Bulldog 42-yard line. The box score doesn’t show that Gallatin failed to score on five other drives that began between the 40-yard lines.
The rival teams were nearly identical in offensive statistics. Gallatin picked up 11 first downs to Braymer’s 15. The Bulldogs rushed for 195 yards and passed for 105. The Bobcats gained 197 yards on the ground and 109 through the air.
Gallatin broke on top with 7:32 to play in the 1st quarter when quarterback Duke Burge scored on a one-yard keeper. The drive began on the Bobcat 45 after a 13-yard punt. Senior fullback Tyler Nichols picked up 19 yards on a carry, and freshman halfback Zac Bradley, pressed into service because of injuries to Jason McGee and Drayson Leeper, packed the ball for a 12-yard gain during the drive.
The Bobcats mixed the running and passing game and battled back with a 70-yard scoring drive, capped by Travis Smith’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Combs. Like Gallatin, Braymer’s attempt at a 2-point conversion failed.
Starting on the Cat 45-yard line, the Bulldogs ground out another short scoring drive with Nichols packing the final yard into the end zone. Burge added the PAT for a 13-6 GHS advantage.
The Bulldogs got the better of a punt exchange at the mid-point of the 2nd period. Burge pinned Braymer deep in its own territory with a 54-yard boot. When the Cats failed to muster a 1st down, the Bulldogs got the ball back on the Cat 46. After shaking off three penalties, Gallatin rolled into the end zone on a 12-yard scoring run by Bradley. The drive featured a fine 21-yard pass reception by Kyle Hefley against the Bobcat sideline.
The Bobcats gained 15 yards on a hook-and-ladder play with 10 seconds left in the half but the Bulldog defense stepped up out of a prevent defense on the final play to stop Smith as he crossed the Bulldog 15-yard line.
Braymer pulled to within 20-12 late in the 3rd quarter after Gallatin tried, and failed, to convert on 4th down at midfield. The Bobcats went 50 yards in 11 plays with Zach Ford carrying the final 3 yards for the score. Smith’s conversion attempt failed.
Gallatin tacked on an insurance touchdown with 10:22 left in the 4th quarter. Nichols hauled in a pass from Burge and rambled 24 yards to the end zone.
A Bulldog pass interception by Colby Swanstone, GHS fumble recovery by Sean Wood and quarterback sacks by Clayton Baker and Adam Strein helped Gallatin control the ball and the clock in the 4th quarter.
Nichols rushed for 113 yards and Burge threw for 105 to spearhead Gallatin’s offense. Defensively, Nichols made 12 solo stops and forced a Bobcat fumble. Strein turned in his best defensive performance of the season with 10 solo stops from his position at tackle. Baker made 8 solo and 6 assisted stops from his linebacker spot.
Tough runners, run-stoppers
The Bulldogs travel to Princeton Friday night looking for a victory that would assure them of at least a .500 season and give them the lead in district standings. The Tigers beat Milan, 32-20, last week, but the victory did not come easy. Milan scored late in the 3rd quarter to pull within 27-20, but Princeton tacked on a field goal and safety down the stretch to seal the win. Wildcat quarterback Darren Gregson was able to complete 12 of 25 passes for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, but Milan gained only 19 yards on the ground in 25 rushing attempts.
The Tigers won’t finish with three 1,000-yard rushers like they did a year ago, but both Brett Cavanah and Nathan Craft are poised to break that elite barrier. Craft enters this Friday’s game with 958 yards and 12 touchdowns. Cavanah has rushed for 800 yards and a team-leading 13 Tds. Brandon Parsons has amassed 504 yards on the ground with 4 scores. Clint Moore rushed for 167 yards against Tarkio, and all told the Tiger backfield has eleven 100-yard rushing performances in 7 games, from 4 different backs.
The Tigers have left their mark on opposing offenses by posting shutouts in 4 of 8 games. They captured their first GRC football title since 1979 by capitalizing on 3 turnovers against South Harrison in their 20-12 upset victory in week #5. Princeton has trailed only once this season when Hamilton held on to a 7-6 1st quarter advantage by blocking a Tiger extra point attempt.
Gallatin holds a slim, one-point lead in district playoff points after its 13-point win over Braymer and Princeton’s 12-point victory over Milan.