Tigers lose, get playoff berth
By Staff
Scot Beard
TANNER – Red Bay had an extra day to prepare for its road trip to Tanner, but the Tigers were unable to give coach Dale Jeffreys his first road win against the Rattlers as they lost 21-7.
Tanner (6-1, 4-1) opened the game with a three-play drive that ended with a 54-yard touchdown run, to give the Rattlers a 7-0 lead one minute into the game.
The Red Bay defense responded by keeping the Rattlers off the scoreboard for the rest of the first half. The Tigers (5-2, 4-1) had an opportunity to tie the game before halftime, but quarterback Hunter Childers threw an interception in the end zone that ended the scoring threat.
"That belongs to me," Jeffreys said. "I called a few plays that should have been more conservative."
Red Bay got the ball to start the second half, but Tanner recovered a fumble on the third play of the drive. The Rattlers scored on a 25-yard run two plays later to extend their lead to 14-0.
The Tigers were forced to punt on the ensuing possession. Tanner drove 46 yards to take a 21-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
Red Bay avoided the shutout with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Childers to Joseph Reach with 29 seconds remaining in the game.
"We played hard the whole 48 minutes," Jeffreys said. "We never quit. I told them (Tanner) would make plays."
Despite the loss, Red Bay – along with Tanner and Lexington – clinched a playoff spot.
Red Bay has four region wins so far this season. Losses by Hatton, Westminster Christian Academy and Cherokee means the fifth through eighth teams in the region can get no more than three region wins if they win out.
The Tigers can finish as high as first in the region if they defeat Clements this week and Lexington next week, or they could finish as low as fourth if they lose both of those games.
Clements, which is currently fourth in the region, has not clinched a playoff berth yet. The Colts need to win one of its final two region games to clinch a berth.
Red Bay can expect a tough game from the Colts. Clements' only two region losses were to Tanner and Lexington.
The Colts are averaging 23.4 points per game and allowing 19.6 points. Red Bay is scoring 25.7 points and allowing 16.7 point per game.
The game against Clements will be the final regular season home game for the Tigers. The game begins at 7 p.m.
