One and done: BJHS falls in first round
Bob Jones quarterback Zach Freeman coughs up the ball during the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ 28-21 first-round loss to Clay-Chalkville. (BobJonesSports.com/Barry Anderson)
It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
After reeling off the best record in school history in 2009, the Bob Jones Patriots were poised to make a run at the Class 6A state title, but the Clay-Chalkville Cougars had a different idea Nov. 5.
The Cougars came back from a 14-point second-half deficit Friday night to upset the Region 8 champion Patriots at ‘The Bob,’ 28-21.
“We came out and played hard, but you have to give credit to (Clay-Chalkville),” Bob Jones head coach Kevin Rose said. “We’re really proud of our guys. We’ve done a lot of good things, a lot more good than bad.”
The Patriots did a lot of good things in the first half, opening up a 21-7 halftime lead.
After the Cougars faked a punt to extend the opening drive, the Patriot defense forced Clay-Chalkville to punt, but Reggie Ragland stepped up again on special teams and blocked the kick.
The Patriots took advantage of the blocked kick as Zach Freeman hit Collins Moore for a 63-yard pass to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Trai Ragland to put Bob Jones up 7-0.
Ragland stepped up again for the Patriots, this time on defense, and recovered Cougar quarterback Jacob Thomas’ fumble.
Freeman once again hit Moore, this time from 26-yards out, to increase the Patriots’ lead to 14-0 midway through the second quarter.
After forcing the Cougars to punt on the ensuing possession, the Patriots’ offense took a chance on a fourth-down run, but the play failed and Clay-Chalkville took over.
The Cougars also rolled the dice on a fourth-down call on the next possession, but it paid off as Thomas hit DeAndre Woods from 23 yards out to cut Bob Jones’ lead to 14-7.
Trai Ragland struck again before halftime on a 17-yard touchdown run after the Patriots set it up off of a 61-yard screen pass from Freeman to Xavier Gaddy.
In the second half, the Patriots went for it on fourth down on their first two possessions, but both failed.
However, a fourth-down call once again went the Cougars’ way as Darrin Reaves scampered 33 yards on a fourth-and-3 to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Thomas.
The Cougars fourth-down fortunes continued in the fourth quarter when Thomas sprinted for the first down on a fourth-and-4, and then completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Woods on a fourth-and-8 to tie the game, 21-21.
After forcing the Patriots to punt on the ensuing possession, the Cougars drew the Bob Jones defense offsides on a third-and-3 play to set up a throwback pass from Thomas to Woods and back to Thomas for the 15-yard go-ahead score.
The Patriots had two opportunities to tie the game, but Freeman fumbled on the ensuing possession and then threw an interception to Cordey Jones after the Patriots’ defense held the Cougars on a fourth-down run.
Despite the loss, Rose said this senior class, which won back-to-back undefeated Region 8 championships, has laid the foundation for Bob Jones football.
“It’s huge what we’ve done with these seniors,” Rose said. “They are going to be missed.”
