Tigers top Hornets 32-18

GRACEVILLE — On ‘Senior Night’ for Graceville Friday night, it was the Tigers’ seniors who carried the day.

Leron Hoover and Treyshaun White combined for 259 rushing yards and five touchdowns in their last home game for GHS, a 32-18 win over the arch-rival Cottondale Hornets.

Hoover tallied 157 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while White also topped the 100-yard mark, notching 102 on 18 carries and four TDs.

“That’s good for them, I’m real proud for them,” Graceville coach Todd Wertenberger said of his senior backs.

“But we also had (senior) Chris Works getting an interception at the end of the game, and seniors like Eli Russaw, Tyler Crutchfield and Heath Plybon on the offensive line opening holes for those guys.”

The win improved the Tigers to 3-6 on the season, while the Hornets fell to 1-7.

Cottondale coach Mike Melvin said that his Hornets simply had a tough time keeping pace with the Tigers’ offense.

“Leron Hoover did a great job running the football for them and keeping control of the ball,” he said. “It was an exciting game. We just couldn’t stop them and get enough points on the board.”

It appeared early as though the Tigers might cruise to an easy victory, with GHS marching 64 and 72 yards for touchdowns on its first two drives.

But the Hornets found a way to get on the board before the half, taking advantage of a pass interference penalty in the Graceville endzone to get one untimed down with no time on the clock.

CHS capitalized with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drew Bellamy to the corner of the endzone to Nick Jackson, who managed to get one foot in bounds to
secure the score.

After taking a 12-6 lead into the halftime break, Graceville got the ball to start the third period and scored seven plays later on an 11-yard run by Hoover.

White converted the two-point play for a 20-6 lead.

Cottondale answered quick with a three-play, 55-yard scoring drive.

A 12-yard run by Dominique Webb and a 16-yard run by Jackson set up a 27-yard TD rush by Webb to make it 20-12 7:00 on the clock.

A 35-yard run by Jacky Miles was the key play on an 80-yard scoring drive for the Tigers on the ensuing possession, with White capping it off from 8 yards out for a 26-12 lead.

The Tigers went for the jugular with an onside kick following the score, but the Hornets recovered and took advantage of the short field.

CHS converted a pair of fourth downs on the drive, the last coming on an 8-yard TD pass from Bellamy to Josh Simmons on a 4th-and-4 play to start the fourth period.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, they were again unable to get the stop they needed.

Graceville drove 64 yards on 10 plays, with White scoring from 19 yards out to make it a two-touchdown edge with 4:44 left in the game.

The Hornets moved it deep into GHS territory on their next possession, with a 23-yard pass from Bellamy to Cody Saye getting it to the Tigers’ 29-yard line.

But the drive stalled on the 25 with an incomplete pass on 4th-and-6 with 2:37 to play.

“I thought it was a good game for both teams,” Wertenberger said. “I think coach Melvin and his staff did a good job of preparing for us. The game was in question right up until the end. It was just good to get a win.”

Webb led the Hornets with 75 rushing yards, while Jackson picked up 62 yards.

Cottondale finishes its season at home against Liberty County on Friday, while the Tigers hit the road for another rivalry game against Chipley.