Tigers fall to Devildogs on last-second field goal
Blue Ridge fell to Travelers rest after the Devildogs kicked a game-winning field goal with 14 seconds left.
n yet another down-to-the-wire contest between Blue Ridge and rival Travelers Rest, the Tigers fell just short of their second win of the season, being downed by the Devildogs 24-21.
Travelers Rest won this season’s edition of the “Battle for the Jug” on a game-winning field goal with 14 seconds remaining.
“Games like this one are fun to be a part of,” said Blue Ridge head coach John Boggs. “They’re just a lot more fun when you win. It was just two teams battling it out, and both teams were refusing to lose.”
After last season’s 49-48 Tiger win in overtime, Boggs remembers what he told Travelers Rest head coach Michael Lancaster after the game. Following Friday night’s Devildog victory, Lancaster returned the favor.
“When we won in overtime last year, I shook hands with Mike and I told him, ‘It’s a shame either team has to lose a game like this.’ We shook hands this past Friday night, and he told me the exact same thing.”
Blue Ridge got out to a fast start on Friday night, climbing out to a 13-0 halftime lead with touchdown runs from running back Bryson Wyatt and quarterback Colton Clouse.
The Devildogs came out swinging in the second half, however, firing off 21 straight points to take a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter. KB Henderson’s 53-yard touchdown scamper and ensuing two-point conversion tied the game at 21 with just six minutes remaining in the game.
With 14 seconds remaining, the Devildogs kicked a 25-yard field goal to secure the win. With the victory, Travelers Rest clinched a No. 3 seed in the Class 3-A playoffs. The loss handed Blue Ridge a No. 4 seed and set the Tigers up with a date with the No. 1 ranked 3-A team in the state, Daniel.
Boggs knows the task at hand is a tall one. Daniel is 10-0 this season and beating opponents by an average of 40 points per game. They put up over 50 points per game on offense.
It’s not going to be easy.
“Daniel is one of those teams that’s good for a reason,” said Boggs. “They’re sound in everything they do. They don’t make mistakes or beat themselves. We’re going in and our number one goal is not to lose to Blue Ridge. Number two is to stick to the plan, find a way to go in there and be competitive.
“It’s a great opportunity to go play the best team in 3-A in a great atmosphere. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or what happened in the regular season. Now, we’re just trying to find a way to keep our season alive.”