“This was a region game, and we had to have it,” Elkmont head coach Sean Holt said. “It appears our guys might have learned a much-needed lesson after the Brooks game about how to finish things.”
Elkmont opened the game with a 10-play scoring drive aided by Pankey’s 27-yard run. Bailey scored on a 2-yard run for the 7-0 lead entering the second quarter. West Limestone’s Peyton Boldin (8 of 19, 102 yards, two interceptions) connected with Blankenship for a pair of passes near the end of the first half, including a 30-yard touchdown.
It left the Wildcats down 14-7 with 1:15 left before intermission and the ball to start the second half.
Perhaps Bailey’s biggest contribution came on his 39-yard kickoff return past midfield, and Nelson came through in the clutch. His 13-yard pass to Bailey and 14-yard scamper set up a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Simmons, and the momentum swung 180 degrees in Elkmont’s favor before halftime.
“We worked on our two-minute offense in practice, and the score before the half was huge for us,” Holt said. “I was particularly proud of the way our guys came out and finished things in the second half.”
The Wildcats had a lengthy drive which covered half the third quarter but stalled after Jarod Smallwood’s sack on fourth down. Bailey continued his strong night by sacking Boldin deep in Red Devil territory, and Kaleb Wallace just missed a pick six of his own after an interception to set up Nelson’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone. Elkmont took over with a pair of big runs on Tucker’s 29-yard touchdown on a trap play along with Bailey’s 40-yard score after breaking three tackles.
Bailey stepped in front of a Boldin pass near midfield and ran 47 yards the other way for a touchdown – the first of two straight West Limestone turnovers after Kody Clark’s fumble recovery. Colby Holt added a 2-yard score midway through the fourth quarter for a 49-7 advantage, and Elkmont continues to be strong in the kicking game. Seven of eight Alexis Hernandez kickoffs went for touchbacks.
Jared Bailey had a solid all-around evening with 78 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns and ran an interception back 47 yards for another score. Elkmont (3-1, 2-1), avenged a 25-23 loss one year ago and bounced back from its first loss of the season last week. Mike Tucker carried nine times for 82 yards and a touchdown, Zeb Pankey had 72 yards on seven carries while Jordan Nelson completed five of his six passes for 56 yards and accounted for two scores. Drew Thompson and Brent Stovall were Elkmont’s top two tacklers, as the Red Devils host New Hope (a winner against Pisgah) next Friday night for Homecoming.
SOURCE: ATHENS NEWS COURIER
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