Bart Moss

For the FCT

The Phil Campbell Bobcats found some silver linings Friday night in a 34-18 homecoming loss to the Cherokee Indians.

The Bobcats scored their first points since the opening game and achieved their first lead of the year even if it was short lived.

The Bobcats were able to move the ball through the air as they piled up 197 yards passing.  Phil Campbell split time at quarterback between sophomore Tristan Godsey and eighth grader Peyton Thomas.

The Bobcats also had some good defensive stops and forced three Cherokee fumbles.

However, the big play continued to be the thorn-in-the side as Phil Campbell gave up touchdowns of 54 and 60 yards.

The Bobcats scored on their opening drive of the game. The score was set up by a big 54-yard pass play from Godsey to Nick Smith.  The Bobcats scored a few plays later as the teammates pushed Godsey into the end zone from three yards out.

The Bobcats 6-0 lead was short lived, however, as Cherokee scored 21 unanswered points.  Their first touchdown came just two plays after the Bobcats first score on a 54-yard strike to take a 7-6 lead.

The Indians scored again on a 12-yard run with 8:10 to go in the first half and a six-yard pass with 5:47 to go in the half.

Phil Campbell battled back late in the second quarter.

With 4:58 to go, Thomas hit Nick Smith in stride for a 61-yard touchdown pass to trim Cherokee’s lead to 21-12.

The Bobcats scored again with 1:58 to go in the half on a four-yard run by Colby Baker to cut the their deficit to 21-18.

Cherokee would take the wind out of the Bobcats sails on the next drive.  Cherokee’s quarterback, seemingly hemmed up in the backfield, broke free and zigzagged his way to a crushing 60-yard touchdown run to give the Indians a 27-18 halftime lead.

Cherokee added one more touchdown midway through the third quarter on a five yard touchdown run.

Phil Campbell made a little homecoming history Friday night as well.  For the first time in school history there was a tie for Homecoming Queen.  The queens were Andrea Fugate and Madison Hardy.  Second alternate was Mia Hutcheson.