Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By BRANDON SUMRALL/ Special to the Advertiser

The 2021 regular season came to a close on Oct. 29 as Chilton County High School defeated Marbury High School 14-10 to finish the season with a 3-7 record.

The first twelve minutes of the contest were a defensive affair, with both squads failing to score a point.

Midway through the second quarter, and with no change in the score, Marbury took possession near midfield. It was then that quarterback Jack Thompson and the Bulldogs offense went to work. Runs by Carson Cobb and Braedan Mizusawa gave the Bulldogs a fresh set of downs but a 39-yard connection from Thompson to Cody Whitford set Marbury up with first and goal at the Tigers seven-yard line. A defensive stand by the Chilton County defense forced the Bulldogs to kick a field goal. Baylor Cannon knocked the kick through the uprights, giving Marbury a 3-0 lead.

Marbury’s lead did not last long as quarterback Cannon Miller and the CCHS offense used its ensuing possession to finally get on the board. Starting at their own 37-yard line, the Tigers quickly got down the field as Miller connected with Jakeveon Bolding for 36 yards, moving CCHS inside the Marbury red zone. Four plays later, Rashard Childers ran the ball into the end zone from three yards, giving the Tigers a 7-3 lead that they took into halftime.

After a pair of scoreless possessions to start the second half, Marbury was able to get back on the scoreboard. The CCHS looked poised to get another stop, but two personal foul penalties gave Marbury a fresh set of downs inside the Tigers red zone. Five plays later, Thompson ran in a five-yard touchdown to give Marbury a 10-7 lead late in the third quarter.

CCHS responded quickly though, as Demarcus Riddick ran the ensuing kickoff back for a 75-yard touchdown, giving the Tigers a 14-10 lead with 3:29 remaining in the third.

A pair of scoreless possessions by both teams ate several minutes off the clock, moving action into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs took possession early in the quarter, and runs by Thompson and a pass completion to Mizusawa moved Marbury close to midfield with under five minutes to play. A 32-yard completion from Thompson to Whitford set the Bulldogs up with first and ten at the Tigers 25-yard line.

The Bulldogs picked up another first down at the Chilton County 14-yard line, but a pair of penalties backed them up into a third and 24 situation at the Tigers 28-yard line with just 36 seconds to play. Thompson tried to make something happen downfield, but an incompletion set up a fourth and long play with seventeen seconds left. On the next play, Chilton County’s Sam Smith sealed the deal for the Tigers with a game-winning interception, and a final kneel from Miller gave CCHS a 14-10 season-ending victory.

“I am excited for our kids, and especially our seniors to be able to go out on a win,” CCHS head coach Tal Morrison said. “It was a chippy and physical game. Our kids played hard and went back-and-forth with them all night. There is a lot of ability on this team, but we did the same thing we have done all year and sort of shot ourselves in the foot throughout the course of the night tonight. Luckily we were able to overcome that and send these seniors out on a positive note, which I am very excited and very proud of them.”

Childers ended the night with 64 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown for the Tigers. Meanwhile, Thompson finished the game with 89 yards receiving and another 52 rushing with a touchdown.