Centennial vs. Chattahoochee

4SHOT Sports

Football - 2007
Centennial vs. Chattahoochee
By Jabari "Klapp" Glapion
Nov 6, 2007, 02:39 EST

Centennial holds off Cougar comeback

Knights stake claim to number one spot

Chattahoochee High School - Alpharetta, GA

The Knights' O-Line controlled the line of scrimmage all night.

The Chattahoochee Cougars (7-2, 3-1) appeared primed and ready to take sole possession of the top spot in 6B-AAAAA region Friday night as they welcomed the Centennial Knights (6-3, 4-0) for a regional showdown at the “Hooch”. The Knights needed a win to put the nail in the coffin for their regional standings, but Centennial had plans of doing a little hammering of their own.

The Knights came out with a clear goal in mind. Pound the football. Running backs Jerry Smith and Delonte Doles, along with quarterback James Floyd, set the tone early and took it right at the Cougar defense. Their misdirection style of running kept the Cougar defense on its heels the entire night.

The scoring in the first half went back and forth, unfortunately for the Cougars, their points came in threes’ while the Knights’ trumped them with sevens’. Floyd put Centennial up, 7-0, with a five-yard score and the Cougars answered with a field goal.

After another run-dominated drive, Smith hit paydirt to put the Knights up 14-3, and after a big kickoff return by the dynamic Elton Ford, the Cougars could only answer with yet another field goal. Centennial added three more points before halftime off the foot of Brendan Moore to give them a comfortable 17-6 lead at the half.

Almost too comfortable.

Chattahoochee came out and dominated the third quarter. The Cougar defense put the clamps on Centennial’s rushing attack, while their offense unleashed a rushing attack of their own. Ford and quarterback, Brendan Cross, led the Cougar offense down the field as Ford cut into the Knight lead from two yards out to make it 17-12.

With 3:25 left in the third quarter, Justin Lee picked off a Floyd pass to setup Ford’s second touchdown run of the night, this time from 13 yards out. Another failed two point conversion only gave the Cougars a one-point edge going into the fourth quarter, 18-17.

Centennial scored its only points of the second half coming off of another field goal by Moore to give them a 20-18 with 8:14 left to play. And then things got a little questionable. With less than three minutes remaining, Chattahoochee found themselves with a first goal at the Knights’ three-yard line. The Knight defense stood strong and shut down three consecutive runs by Ford.

With the Cougars facing a fourth and goal, Chattahoochee coach Terry Crowder decided to take a gamble and go for the touchdown instead of kicking a field goal that would have given them a one-point lead. A fourth consecutive run to the right side by Ford was blown up again by the Knight defense to seal the deal as they seized control of the regional standings. Now they face another tough matchup as they prepare to face Roswell High.

Now, Chattahoochee can only sit back and wonder “what if”. But, if but’s and if’s were nuts and berries, we’d all have a Merry Christmas. Simply put, it doesn’t even matter now.