Bearcat quarterback Fletcher Jennings outmaneuvers North Jackson defenders. / Joe McElroy
STEVENSON – Cullman’s sloppy play and constant errors allowed North Jackson to take the early lead Friday night; however, this did not discourage the Bearcats as they fought back to beat the Chiefs 24-15.
The Chiefs’ Brady Cooper, senior wide receiver, caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Edward Bellamy on the team’s fourth play of the game, giving North Jackson an early 7-0 lead. The Bearcats were stymied by penalty after penalty, on both the offensive and defensive sides, but Cullman did not allow the slower pace to hold them back.
Cullman’s Fletcher Jennings constantly scrambled to avoid the nagging defensive pressure for most of the first half. At one point, Jennings was flushed from the pocket and rushed 25 yards and dove toward the goal line, but the ball slipped out of his hands and out of the North Jackson end zone. Though the Chiefs took over, Cullman’s defense strengthened and forced North Jackson into a short punt.
Once again, the Bearcat offense took to the field. This time was different as Jennings aired out a 56-yard touchdown bomb to Carson Freeman as time expired in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-all.
Both sides stiffened up on defense at the start of the second quarter until the Bearcats’ Jennings and Burks got to work. On a nice setup from Jennings, Burks marched it in to give Cullman its first lead of the night at 14-7.
Following a few missteps and penalties the Bearcats had given up good field position to North Jackson. After a quick three-and-out, North Jackson only needed one play to take the lead as the Chiefs’ Korre Smith rushed 40 yards for the touchdown. North Jackson opted for the 2-point conversion attempt as Brady Cooper took it into the end zone, giving the Chiefs a 15-14 lead on the Bearcats. This was the last time the Chiefs’ made it to the end zone.
With the combination of Jennings, Burks and Jayden Sullins, the Bearcats could not be detoured. Cullman set up deep in North Jackson territory as time expired in the third quarter. Jennings took the game on his shoulders and punched in a 10-yard touchdown run to put Cullman up 20-15. A penalty on the PAT pushed the Bearcats back but that didn’t stop Miguel Tizapa-Robles from nailing the field goal, putting Cullman up 21-15.
North Jackson made several attempts at salvaging the game but that’s when Cullman’s Tizapa-Robles iced the game with a short field goal pushing the lead to 24-15, the final score.
Cullman levels its season at 1-1 with the victory over North Jackson. The Bearcats take on Albertville at home on Friday, Sept. 8.
Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Image credit: Joe McElroy
