By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Making their eighth straight trip to the Class 6A state
playoffs, Gadsden City High came up three yards short in a 21-20 loss to
Bessemer City on Friday (Nov. 8).
Late in the fourth quarter, the visiting Titans (5-6) drove
50 yards in 43 seconds as quarterback Ahmad DeRamus ran a two-minute drill
to the Bessemer City 11-yard line. The Purple Tigers (10-1) celebrated as the
final horn sounded, but the scorekeeper ran off too much time and forced BCHS
to come back for one more play with one second remaining.
DeRamus then connected with Deveunte Blount for a 10-yard
touchdown pass and brought GCHS within one point.
It all came down to the PAT. Gadsden City head coach Matt
Scott decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt, and
DeRamus was tackled in the backfield to end Gadsden City’s season.
Scott said he went for two points because his team had the
momentum and he didn’t like the Titans’ chances in overtime. Scott noted that his
players had practiced the two-point play all season but never used it.
“We definitely wouldn’t do that any differently,” Scott
said. “Our kids were excited about it and we had a lot of confidence in that
play.”
DeRamus finished the game 12-of-21 in passing for 113 yards
and two touchdowns, including completing 4-of-7 passes for 55 yards on the
final drive.
Rodney Bozeman led Gadsden City led on the ground with 11
carries for 81 yards, including a 56-yard score in the second quarter.
Bessemer City reached paydirt on its initial possession of
the game, driving 66 yards in nine plays. Stanley Woods hauled in a 20-yard
touchdown pass from Marcus Key to give Bessemer a 7-0 lead with 5:19 to go in
the first quarter.
Gadsden City evened the score with 6:47 remaining in the
first half when Rodney Bozeman broke loose on a 56 yard run to tie things up at
7-7.
Bessemer City answered with 4:53 to go in the first half
when a 43-yard Key-to-Rickey McCall touchdown pass gave Bessemer a 14-7 lead.
Gadsden City answered with 30 seconds remaining in the first
half, as DeRamus threw a 10-yard TD pass to Bozeman.
The Purple Tigers appeared to have the game in hand when
they drove 91 yards on their second possession of the third quarter to take a
21-14 lead. Key fired a 24-yard TD pass to McCall for a BCHS lead 21-14 with
1:52 to go in the third period.
The Purple Tigers then went to their running game to attempt
to keep the ball away from the Titans.
Gadsden City used its timeouts to get the ball back with
only 43 seconds remaining in the game.