Kadin Pounders

For the FCT

The Red Bay Tigers (5-2) defeated the Cherokee Indians (3-4) 34-6 in Cherokee Friday night in a game that was closer than the score suggests.

At the end of the third quarter the Tigers only led the Indians 8-6, but scored 26 points in the fourth quarter to end up routing Cherokee.

Both offenses struggled from the very beginning. Cherokee tried a few trick plays on their first possession but to no avail. The first quarter ended with a 0-0 tie. Red Bay only had one full possession in the first quarter that ended with a punt after a couple of sacks by Cherokee.

The Tigers would only score once in the first half and it came with 8:52 left in the second quarter – a 63-yard run by running back Austin Childers. Red Bay converted the two-point conversion to make it 8-0, the lead they would take into halftime. Red Bay finished with 139 yards of offense in the first half while Cherokee ended the half with 113.

The narrative of the third quarter was not much different from that in the first half. Both of Red Bay’s possessions in the third quarter ended in punts. Cherokee’s defense stepped up and stifled the Red Bay offense that was averaging 34.6 points coming into the game.

On Cherokee’s second possession of the half, the Indians finally broke up the shutout. With 5:13 left in the third quarter Cherokee’s Magail Noyloa darted past Red Bay defenders for a 40-yard touchdown run. After the failed two-point conversion, the Indians trailed the Tigers 8-6.

Heading into the fourth quarter the score remained 8-6, but the momentum would soon take an enormous shift. Both defenses continued to play well halfway into the fourth quarter, but with 5:58 left in the game the Tigers scored on a 3-yard run by quarterback Troy Borden to make it 16-6.

From that point forward the game belonged to the Tigers. With just over four minutes remaining, Red Bay would put up another 18 points on three touchdowns. Cherokee quarterback Ty Deaton threw two interceptions in that span, one to Red Bay’s Barry Reach and the other to Tyler Reach which was returned for a touchdown. Austin Childers and Tate Ozbirn scored the other two touchdowns. Childers finished with 142 yards on offense.

After the fourth quarter rally, Red Bay came away with the 34-6 victory.

After the game Red Bay Head Coach John Ritter commented on his team’s performance.

“[Cherokee was] well prepared for what we did offensively and defensively,” Ritter said. “We made plays when we had to. We didn’t play the best football tonight but we still got a victory.”

Red Bay will face region rival Lexington at home on Oct. 18.