Courtesy of al.com
Damon Williams rushed for a season-best 220 yards and two touchdowns as Gadsden City kept its postseason hopes alive with a 46-41 comeback victory over Class 7A No. 8 Bob Jones on Friday (Oct. 7) in Madison.
Williams scored on a 3-yard run as Gadsden City (3-5, 3-2 in Region 4) regained the lead with 4:56 remaining in the back-and-forth battle. The Patriots took the ensuing kickoff and moved from their 37 to deep into Titans territory, but the drive ended when Brady Polson’s pass sailed just off the fingertips of Damontrez Brown on fourth down.
Bob Jones fell to 5-3, 3-2 with its second straight region loss. Polson was 20-for-31 for 320 yards and four touchdowns against Gadsden City.
The Titans scored on all five first-half possessions and led 27-21 at intermission.
Ryan Sparks scored on a pair of 1-yard quarterback sneaks and threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Jer’Michael Isom in the second quarter after Jonathan Kilgo had staked Gadsden City to an early lead with field goals of 25 and 30 yards.
Each team score two touchdowns in the final three minutes before halftime. Polson connected with Brad Anderson on a 42-yard score with 1:21 to go, then hit Milkhi Stewart for a 17-yard TD on an untimed down after Gadsden City was called for a personal foul with no time remaining, giving the Patriots one more play.
Bob Jones took its last lead with 8:01 left on Polson’s 15-yard pass to Isaiah Hatchett. Gadsden City regained the lead with a nine-play, 80-yard drive – all on the ground – with Williams toting it six times for 45 yards.
An interception by De’Wayne Parker midway through the third quarter turned the momentum back in Gadsden City’s favor after Bob Jones had a 28-27 lead. After Sparks’ 61-yard quick kick pinned the Patriots at the 1, Parker picked off Polson on first down to give the Titans possession at the Bob Jones 31. Sparks capped the drive with his third touchdown run six plays later to put Gadsden City ahead again, 34-28.
“I thought our kids did a great job tonight of handling the highs and lows of the game,” said GCHS head coach Matt Scott. “Our guys have been in these kind of games every week with the schedule we’ve played. We cleaned a lot of things up tonight that had been hurting us.”
Gadsden City continues region play this week at home against Sparkman.