Bulldogs win NGAC West, host Ringgold in semifinal

The Rossville Bulldogs scored three touchdowns in the first quarter, all on plays of more than 40 yards, and won the North Georgia Athletic Conference Western Division title with a 34-20 win over Chattanooga Valley Thursday afternoon.

Rossville took the opening kickoff and scored on the first play from scrimmage, a 67yard TD run by Tye Whaley. Landon Ownby added the 2-point conversion.

The Eagles answered with a 16-yard scoring pass from Amarreon Turner to Mason King, but the conversion try failed and kept Rossville ahead, 8-6.

The next two plays from scrimmage would result in lost fumbles for both teams. When the dust finally settled, the very next play was a 47-yard TD run by Ownby that boosted Rossville’s lead to 14-6, although the conversion attempt failed.

Two plays into Chattanooga Valley’s next possession, Thomas Lamb recovered a fumble for the Bulldogs and Chance Sharp went 49 yards for a score on the first play. The conversion once again failed, but Rossville’s lead increased to 20-6.

Rossville would force Chattanooga Valley to punt on its next possession, but the Bulldogs would lay the ball on the ground on the first play of their ensuing possession, which the Eagles returned 44 yards to cut the lead to 20-12 as a wild first quarter finally came to a close.

Both teams would score again in the second quarter. Whaley crashed in from a yard out early in the period, while Tyrese McKrosky added the conversion. However, CVMS would counter with a drive capped by a 26-yard TD scramble by King. Jeremiah Turner’s conversion cut Rossville’s lead to 28-20.

The Eagles would get one final possession before halftime, but McKrosky would pick off a pass to halt the drive in the waning seconds.

Chattanooga Valley would get the ball to start the third quarter, but were stopped on a fourth-down fake punt attempt. The Bulldogs would convert the defensive stop into points as Rossville drove 50 yards in eight plays before Gordon Casteel plowed his way into the end zone for what turned out to be the final points of the game.

The Bulldogs then turned to its defense and running game to finish things off. Two big defensive plays by Whaley forced an Eagle punt and the Rossville ground game would begin to chew up the clock.

Casteel would get 12 second-half carries and he would get the call on seven of the last nine plays of the game as the Bulldogs ran out the final 6:30 before taking a knee to finish off the win.

Rossville finished with 394 yards rushing on 37 carries. Whaley had 144 yards on the ground, while Casteel went for 108.

“This game was won behind our offensive line,” said Rossville head coach Steve Lewis. “In the second half we gave the ball our fullback (Casteel) and let him just pound in behind that line. We have several talented backs, but coming into this year we knew our O-line would win us some ball games and that was the case tonight.”

Individual statistics for Chattanooga Valley (3-3) were not provided as of press time.

Rossville (5-1 overall, 4-0 division) will host Ringgold in the NGAC semifinals this Thursday.