By Adam Krohn
Toward the end of the first half and into the third quarter of Dalton’s 35-11 win against Northwest Whitfield on Friday night at Bruin Stadium in Tunnel Hill, the Bruins effectively stole momentum.
After the Catamounts took a 14-0 lead on Stryker Brown touchdown runs in the first and second quarters, the Bruins began to crawl back into the game on their last possession of the first half, which started on their own 9 with less than 5 minutes to go.
Northwest running back Lance Andrews got the drive started with a 20-yard run on an option play and Jordan Darnell helped push the Bruins into Dalton territory with a couple of punishing, tackle-breaking runs. However, inside the red zone with less than a minute to go in the first half, the Cats’ defense stopped Northwest, forcing a Bruins field goal. Northwest trailed, 14-3, at halftime.
“If we could have scored (a touchdown) there, then things might have been different,” Darnell said. “But that’s just not what it turned out to be.”
The Cats opened the second half with a drive that melted more than 6 minutes off the clock, but were forced to punt. Darnell then broke broke another long run into Dalton territory that was enhanced by a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Cats, again moving the Bruins close to the red zone.
This time, they were able to capitalize on an Andrews touchdown run. After quarterback Chad Keeter ran for the two-point conversion, the Bruins trailed 14-11 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“We just didn’t want to let the game go,” Andrews said. “The game wasn’t over and we knew we had a shot.”
On the ensuing kickoff, with Northwest kicking into the wind, the ball sailed into the end zone for a touchback, but a Dalton holding penalty put the Cats on their own 10. The Bruins forced a quick three-and-out and after a short punt by Toombs Norman, the Bruins found themselves with a golden opportunity to take control of the game with the ball on Dalton’s 30.
But on second-and-six, Northwest was hit with a devastating 15-yard personal foul penalty and ultimately turned the ball over on downs.
Poof. The momentum was gone.
Dalton took possession and scored, thanks to two running plays by Brown and Shaquon Moore totaling 90 yards. The Cats would later add two more scores, giving them 21 unanswered points.
“That penalty really hurt us,” Bruins coach Mike Falleur said. “That changed the game from there. I can’t tell you why. It just did.”
The Bruins (6-3, 5-1) have one week to regroup and shift their focus to next week’s Region 7-4A play-in game against Paulding County (4-5, 3-2), which beat Hillgrove, 18-14, on Friday.
If the Bruins can get past Paulding — the Bruins will host the Patriots — they clinch a state playoff bereth.
“It’s either win or go home,” said Darnell, a senior. “I want to keep on going. I don’t want next week to by my last game.”
Senior linebacker Chito Chibuye said he’ll tell his teammates to live in the moment.
“Forget this game and go try and get a playoff berth,” he said. “That’s all that matters now. This game is over.”
