Defeat costs LFO berth in playoffs
There were 122 total plays in Friday night’s Region 6-AAA playin game between Adairsville and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.
And two gutsy calls by Eric Bishop.
The Adairsville coach elected for an early onside kick that led to a touchdown, and with the game tied in the fourth quarter he went for a first down inside the Tigers’ 40-yard line, leading to another score as the Tigers prevailed 34-21 at Tommy Cash Stadium to earn a spot in the state playoffs.
Adairsville (6-4) will represent the region as the No. 4 seed and travel to Cedar Grove when the postseason begins next week, while LFO (5-5) is done for the year.
“You can’t win games like this without taking a few chances,” Bishop said. “We practiced onside kicks, fake punts — you name it — this week. Lakeview is a fine team, and we had to make the most of our opportunities.”
Adairsville quarterback Mason Boswell rushed for 247 yards — nearly 200 in the second half — as the Tigers rolled up 444 yards on the ground. He ran for a pair of scores and passed for another, and his 34-yard run on fourth-and-2 from the Adairsville 34 included a pair of broken tackles at the line of scrimmage.
Four plays later, he scored from 4 yards out with 7:19 to play to set up a 28-21 lead.
“Mason was our Energizer Bunny tonight,” Bishop praised. “I honestly didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to do to it, but that just shows you how special he is.”
The Warriors scored first as junior running back Nathan Williams bulled in from the 1, but the Tigers responded on Travon Branch’s 77-yard run two plays later. Bishop then called for the onside kick, which was recovered at the LFO 48, and the Tigers scored three plays later on Boswell’s 1-yard keeper.
The lead grew to 21-7 after Boswell’s 35-yard run with 1:54 left in the first half, but LFO senior quarterback Zach Vaughn engineered an eight-play drive that covered 80 yards. He completed six of eight passes on the drive, which ended with a 2-yard pass to Ruddy Ware on the half’s final play.
After blocking a field goal and returning it to midfield after Adairsville’s first drive of the second half, LFO’s Williams ripped off 33 yards and Vaughn capped the game-tying drive with a 1-yard sneak, part of his 219-yard performance. The Warriors got the ball back and drove to the Tigers’ 32 before a pair of holding penalties stalled the drive at the 43, forcing a punt.
Adairsville then took off on its 96-yard game-winning drive that was capped by Boswell’s fourthdown run. The ensuing LFO possession reached midfield but stalled again, forcing a punt with 5:23 to play. Boswell put the game on ice with a 53-yard run that led to a 5-yard touchdown run and the final margin.
“They are a very tough team to defend with some great athletes,” LFO coach Bo Campbell said. “Our guys fought all night like they have all season, and I’m very proud of them. These same kids could have quit when we went 0-10 two years ago and 1-9 last year, but they were determined to turn this around.
“Now they will forever be remembered as the team that got it done.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.