Trimble Tomcats roll to win over the South Gallia Rebels 56-14

Tagged under: Beyond The Keystone, Game Photos, Gameday Hub, News

David Burnworth | October 22, 2022

(I am using the rosters given to me by the South Gallia staff in the press box)

Last night I made my first-ever trip down to Crown City Ohio to see South Gallia host the Trimble Tomcats. The Rebels came in with a 4-5 record, on a four-game losing streak but had already clinched a playoff bid, with sixteen teams making the Ohio High School Athletic Association Playoffs. the Tomcats came in with a 2-7 record losing late week to Waterford, but still mathematically alive for a playoff bid.

Not more than a couple of minutes into this one Xavier Cunningham was able to pounce on a Rebel fumble after a bad exchange on a handoff to give the Tomcats the ball only twelve yards away from the game’s first score. Three plays later Brandon Burdette scored making this a 6-0 game.

After shutting down the Reble offense the Tomcats went right back to work with a 15-yard run from Cunningham to help set up the next score which came on a 27-yard run from Burdette when the Tomcats were facing a fourth and two making this a 12-0 game with 5:06 left in the fast-paced opening quarter.

Hunter Wright was taken down by the Tomcats Coltin Ward for a loss of a yard as the Trimble defense remained sharp as the quarter neared an end. At this point of the game, the Tomcats looked like the team that had clinched a playoff bid, while the home team looked like they were ready for basketball season.

Facing a third and long a little over one minute into the second quarter Burdette hit Max Frank for a 16-yard gain to move the chains. The ten play, 33-yard drive ended with Cunningham scoring on a 9-yard run. After Burdette to Chase Patton two-point completion, we had a 20-game, with 10:41 left in the half. On the ensuing Reble drive Brady Shutts tipped a Rebel pass before making the interception at the 10:24 mark of the quarter. After Burdette completed a 25-yard pass to Patton the Tomcats got a 5-yard run from Mason Hart for a touchdown. On the two-point conversion try Tanner Sanders crushed Burdette leaving this a 26-0 game with 8:36 left in the half.

The Rebels offense, which I later found out was missing three players and would lose three more players before this game ended would get things going with a 55-yard pass from Noah Cremeens to Judah Creemeens. Two runs by Hunter Wright a 10-yard run followed by a 5-yard run that also was the first score for the home team made this a 26-6 game. After Wright found Logan Saber we had ourselves a 26-8 game with 7:00 left in the half. The Tomcats would respond with a one-play 53-yard drive with Tyler Hill outrunning the Rebels defense for the score. A Burdette to Patton two-point conversion throw made this a 34-8 game with 6:37 showing on the clock.

Trimble would get a scoop and score a fumble recovery from Hill to make this a 40-8 game at the 4:40 mark of the quarter. Before the half ended Trevor Gowen had a big 19-yard run and then a 33-yard touchdown run from Cunningham and a two-point conversion pass from Burdette to Frank made the halftime score 48-8.

There was no scoring in the third quarter but there were four big defensive plays with the Rebels getting the first one and the Tomcats getting the final three. Waylon Waugh not on the Rebels roster would get to Paul Sharp for a loss of three. For the Tomcats, Mason Hart would get to Braydon Bowling for a loss of three. Braylen Shutts picked off a Tanner Sanders pass, and then Blake Stanley got to Judah Creemeens for a loss of six.

Brycen Stanley would get a 38-yard completion for South Gallia to Judah Creemeens to get the home team moving in the fourth quarter. After Stanley was sacked by Blake Stanley, he would then find Saber for the 17-yard touchdown making this a 48-14 game. Trimble ended the scoring with a 15-yard run from Stanley and a two-point run from Blake Brown to make the final score 56-14.

Unofficial Stats

Trimble

44 plays

303 yards

Passing

4-7

South Gallia

38 plays

159 yards

Passing 1-8 2 Int’s