Tigers fall to old rival Tanner 55-15
By Ashley Hargrove
TANNER —The beginning of the path to Auburn began with a few wrinkles for Tanner. But by the middle of the second half, things started ironing themselves out as the Rattlers scored 35 unanswered points in the third quarter to cruise to a 55-15 win over Red Bay in the first round of the Class 2A state football playoffs Friday.
The Tigers capitalized on their second possession of the game, driving 89 yards on five-plays capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Hunter Childers to Jacob Dean for the first score of the game.
Tanner answered on its next possession to tie the game as Landon Stephens hit Blake Whitt with a 20-yard pass in the end zone to cap a 52-yard drive. Obed Sanchez’s extra point attempt was good.
The Rattlers took the lead for good in the early minutes of the second quarter when Stephens carried the ball around the right end to score from 5 yards out.
Just when it looked as though Red Bay was going to catch a break after Stephens fumbled the ball while diving into the end zone from 2 yards out, teammate Tray Fletcher recovered the miscue and scored to give Tanner the 21-7 advantage. Three plays later, the Rattlers scored again as Greg Maclin intercepted a pass at the Red Bay 45-yard line and returned it the distance.
Tanner scored four more times in the third quarter.
Red Bay’s only other score of the game came with 1:56 left on the clock on a 38-yard pass from Childers to Marco Bostic. The two-point conversion failed.
