CULLMAN – With the first pass of the evening by Cullman’s Owen Lovell picked off and quickly converted to points, it was set to be a long night and hard fight for the Bearcats, though the team came up only seven points short of victory, 45-38
The Chelsea Hornets jumped on the Bearcats early and often, scoring 21 points in their first three series of the game. Cullman finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when Dawson Drake scored from 4 yards out to bring the Bearcats to a 21-7 deficit.
Defensively the Bearcats took a stand against Chelsea, forcing penalties and bad decision making, giving Cullman the ball back with just two minutes run off the clock.
A mixture of Ross Crocker, Dawson Drake, Fletcher Jennings and Caden Winn drove the ‘Cats 56 yards to bring the home team within seven points, 21-14, with plenty of time left in the half. Once again the Bearcat defense came out and shut down the Hornets, giving Jennings another shot at a touchdown pass to Drake for 30 yards to tie the game at 21-21 with 1:04 left in the half.
However, the Hornets could not be stopped, as they marched down the field and scored a last-second field goal to take a 24-21 lead into the break.
Cullman came out flat in the third quarter, and the Hornets quickly capitalized, jumping the lead to 31-21. The Bearcats fought back with a 34-yard field goal by Tristan Skinner to bring the Bearcats within four. Chelsea struck back increasing the lead to 38-24 in the third.
Drake and the Bearcats weren’t rolling over as he took a pitch from Jennings up the Cullman sideline 75 yards before laying down a huge block on a defender to fight for more yardage. Drake finished what he started moments later, taking in the 1-yard TD with less than two minutes left in the third quarter, making the score 38-31 in favor of Chelsea.
Though this game did not determine a regional placing for Cullman, the Bearcats fought hard until the final whistle. But when it was all over, Chelsea walked away with a 45-38 victory.
Cullman will travel to face Decatur in the first round of the playoffs next week.
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