CHELSEA – It was a wild night as the Cullman Bearcats traveled to take on the Chelsea Hornets Friday. The Hornets had a monster offensive showing in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to topple the ‘Cats. Cullman came out on top 37-29, and the Bearcats needed every bit of offensive production they received.
Cullman elected to receive the ball to start the game, but came out sluggish going three-and-out. Chelsea looked to gain an early leading, marching the ball down the field with relative ease; however, as the Hornets closed in on the red zone, Dylon Wallace intercepted a pass, giving the Bearcat offense a second chance. The Bearcats moved the ball, but eventually stalled out, having to punt.
The Chelsea offense could not capitalize, going three-and-out. The third time was the charm for the Bearcat offense, who fortunately recovered a fumble to maintain possession, as Fletcher Jennings took it in the from 20 yards out to give Cullman a 7-0 lead after the PAT, less than 10 seconds into the second quarter. The Bearcats got the ball back after another three-and-out by the Hornets, and quickly added to the lead; Jayden Sullins scored from 2 yards out to put the Bearcats up 14-0 after the PAT with 8:46 remaining in the half.
On the ensuing possession, the Bearcats got another interception when Kasey Murphree took the football on the 9-yard line to end the Hornets’ drive. Again, the Bearcats had nothing doing after the interception, punting the ball away. The Cullman defense gave the Bearcats one more chance to add to the scoreboard before halftime. As time expired in the first half, Miguel Tizapa tacked on a 19-yard field goal to give the Bearcats a 17-0 lead going into the break.
The scoreboard didn’t move again until midway through the third, when Chelsea’s Turner Griffin found Michael Ard for a 22-yard touchdown and cut the Bearcat lead to 17-7 following the PAT. The Bearcats answered back thanks to a 15-yard touchdown run by Sullins to stretch it back out, 23 -7, with 3:17 remaining in the third. The Hornets found their rhythm on offense, capping off an 80-yard drive with a Griffin 17-yard run with only seconds remaining in the quarter. It was 23-15 after the conversion.
Cullman ate up most of the fourth-quarter clock moving down the field, eventually adding on a 9-yard TD run by Jennings at the 4:43 mark; after the extra point, the Bearcats went up 30-15. The Hornets responded in-kind, making it 30-22, when Kendrick Simpson scored from 9-yards out with 3:29 remaining in the game.
The Bearcats faced a critical third-and-15, only up 8 points. They needed a big play, and they got one. Jennings scrambled to find Reese Harbison for a 56-yard touchdown, giving Cullman a comfortable 37-22 lead with 2:55 remaining.
The Hornets struck one more time, with 59 seconds left, on a 17-yard pass from Griffin to Colby Lambert. After the PAT, the score stood at 37-29. Once Cullman recovered the following onside kick attempt, all the Bearcats had to do to secure the thrilling 37-29 victory was get into the victory formation and take two kneel-downs.
Cullman ends the regular season 7-3; 4-2 in 6A Region 7. The Bearcats will face Ramsay next week in the first round of the playoffs.
Chelsea ends the season 2-8; 2-4 in 6A Region 3.
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