FLOWERY BRANCH — Cherokee Bluff fired the first salvo for the Region 7-3A title Friday night.
The Bears held off Dawson County 21-14 at Bears Stadium in what Bluff coach Tommy Jones said would be the first of two cage matches to defend their region title.
The Bears (8-0, 4-0 Region 7-3A) travel to The Brickyard next week to face a rested North Hall (6-2, 4-0 Region 7-3A) and their bruising wing-T offense with a chance to seal a second straight region title.
“We told the guys all week this would be a heavyweight fight and it was,” Jones said afterward. “Dawson County is very physical and they played well. Fortunately, we were able to make a couple more plays.
“Every week is tough in this region. We’re going to enjoy this one for a day or so and then we’ll start getting ready for North Hall. It should be another great game.”
The difference in this one was Jhace Justice. The junior defensive back picked off three Zack Holtzclaw passes, all in the second half, and defended two others as the Bears limited the Tigers’ big-play ability.
Class 3A leading receiver Bailey Dameron had just 3 catches for 20 yards. Holtzclaw was just 10-of-23 for 115 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs for the game.
Justice’s final one came with 1:36 left in the game and Dawson County poised to drive for a possible game-tying score.
“I was just reading the offense and trying to make plays on the ball,” Justice said. “(On that last one) I knew I had to make a play for the team and it was just there. I’ve never had three (picks) in a game at any level before tonight. It’s pretty cool.”
Meanwhile, Bluff’s big offensive line and senior running back Jayqaun Smith took control in the second half. Smith finished with 23 carries for 203 yards and two scores, with 162 coming in the second half, including an 83-yard explosion in the third quarter and a 48-yard run to the Tigers 1 in the final seconds after Justice’s third interception to seal the game.
“I thought our guys up front played physical and Jayquan just did what he does,” Jones said. “We needed that kind of game to get our guys ready. Again, just a great high school football game.”
But it was a much different first half than most were expecting as the Bears went to the air and the Tigers worked the ground game.
The Bears consumed nearly 10 minutes of the opening quarter but got nothing to show for it. A penalty forced a long fourth down and a punt. The Tigers blocked the kick but also tried to catch it and fumbled with the Bears recovering to keep the ball to maintain possession.
But the Tigers stopped the Bears again and the Bluff defense held Dawson County to a quick three-and-out.
Dawson County forced a third Bears punt and then Holtzclaw and the Tigers offense finally got going but on the ground.
Conley Dyer ran for 44 yards on the drive, which was capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Holtzclaw to Braedon Hubbard for a 7-0 lead with 9 minutes left in the half.
The teams again traded punts and then the Bears answered with a 65-yard drive. Sebastian Irons connected on passes of 24 yards and 38 yards to Max Eubanks and Smith finished off the final 25 yards, including a 2-yard scoring run to tie the game with just 1:39 left in the half.
After a Tigers punt, Bluff took the lead on a wild final 25 seconds to end the half. A pass interference call on Dawson County pushed the ball to midfield and Irons and Marlion Jackson connected on a 35-yard touchdown on the final play of the half for a 14-7 lead.
On that final play, a flag was thrown for pass interference that looked like Jackson had pushed off. But the penalty would go against the Tigers as the play stood.
Both defenses really set the tone in the first half. The Tigers held the Bears vaunted running game to just 30 yards in the first half. But Irons was 11-of-15 passing for 127 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The Tigers, expected to go to the air early and often with Holtzclaw and Dameron, instead went to the ground with Dyer rushing for 62 yards. Holtzclaw was just 3-for-7 for 33 yards and a TD in the first half. Dameron had just 1 catch for 6 yards in the first half.
The Tigers had a strong start to the second half driving to the Bears 14 in just seven plays. But a Bears blitz on third down caused Holtzclaw to throw to a lineman, who then fumbled with Bluff recovering at its 14.
Two plays later, Smith exploded up the middle and outraced the Tigers defense 83 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
Two plays after that, Justice picked off Holtzclaw in Bears territory.
But the Tigers would pull within 21-14 midway through the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run from Jackson Grindle. They looked ready to tie the game after the defense stooped the Bears on downs at the Dawson 37 with 1:48 left.
But Justice made sure there would be no comeback.
SCORING SUMMARY
Dawson Co......0.....7.....0....7 -- 14
Ch. Bluff..........0....14....7....0 -- 21
Second Quarter
D -- Hubbard 14 pass from Holtzclaw (Thompson kick) 7-0, 9:00
C -- Smith 2 run (Arbour kick) 7-7, 1:39
Third Quarter
C -- Smith 83 run (Arbour kick) 21-7, 9:09
C -- Jackson 35 pass from Irons (Arbour kick) 21-7, 0:00
Fourth Quarter
D -- Grindle 14 run (Thompson kick) 21-14, 7:03
