By Grant Benefield/For Cherokee County Herald
Gaylesville’s home turf was thoroughly soggy on Friday (Sept. 25) after continuous rain earlier in the day.
Just like the rainfall soaked the field, fumbles deluged the Trojans’ chances to earn their first win of the season against Gaston.
Gaylesville coughed up the football four times – two of which the Bulldogs recovered – in a 40-6 setback.
Fumbles weren’t the only problem for the Trojans (0-5, 0-3).
Gaston (4-1, 1-1) gashed the Gaylesville defense for over 200 rushing yards. The Trojan offense only collected 150 yards of total offense.
Friday’s game started on the wrong foot for Gaylesville. The Trojans fumbled the ball on the first play of the opening drive, recovered by Bulldog linebacker J.D. Gunter.
The mistake proved costly, as Gaston later scored on a 5-yard option pitch to running back Jashun Cammeron. The Bulldogs missed the extra point attempt, keeping the score 6-0.
Cammeron would quickly find the end zone again, breaking a 49-yard touchdown rush on the Bulldogs’ next possession. Blake Thacker converted the PAT for a 13-0 score.
Gaston continued its onslaught, this time defensively. Gunter once again came up big by blocking a punt attempt and returning it 40 yards to the end zone. Another successful PAT from Thacker made it 20-0.
Gaston finish its first quarter offensive barrage on Alexander Allen’s 48-yard touchdown reception from Jordan Douglas.
With two minutes left in the half, Gaston running back D.J. Pope made the score 33-0 on his 25-yard touchdown rush.
Gaston struck first in the second half, with Cammeron finding the end zone for the third time on the night on a 60-yard rush. Cammeron finished the game with 139 rushing yards.
Gaylesville scored its first points of the game in the fourth quarter thanks to a 70-yard kick return from Derek Hill. Hill’s return set up Austin Slayton’s 17-yard quarterback keeper – his lone rush of the night – for the final margin.
Gaston hosts Fyffe this Friday (Oct. 2) in a Class 2A, Region 7 game.