BLAIRSVILLE — It was a classic battle between two mountain rivals, Fannin County walked out of Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium a 24-20 win for the first time since 2007.
The Rebels hadn't beat Union County on its home turf in more than a decade, and the Panthers almost kept the streak in tact. But senior quarterback Luke Holloway found Andre Bivens with 5:50 left to put the Rebels on top for good.
It was just the icing on the cake for a game that was back and forth all night. The first quarter began with Fannin capping a 77-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass.
With Union's offense sputtering a bit, the defense picked them up, stripping Holloway of the ball allowing Dalton Allen to scoop it and score with 3:37 to tie the game, 7-7.
Later in the game, after both added scores and posted the second tie of the game, the Fannin grabbed a 17-14 lead at the half.
Then the scoring on both sides went silent until the Panthers' quarterback Logan Helcher scored on a 1-yard keeper, giving the Panthers a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter.
Union County (0-1) will travel to Commerce on Friday. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
