STAFF REPORT
BELL BUCKLE — After hanging tough with Giles County (3-3, 1-1) through the first half, a last-second score before halftime and a powerful Bobcat run game in the second half was more than Cascade (3-3, 0-2) could overcome in a 42-8 Region 4-3A loss on Friday night.
Giles County grabbed a 7-0 lead early in the first half, striking on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Xavier Randolph to Person Collier, but the Champs found an answer before the end of the opening frame.
Nate Zimmerman sliced into the end zone from a yard out with 1:41 and then successfully tacked on the two-point conversion to give the hosts an 8-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The seesaw affair continued when Randolph put the Bobcats back on top with a five-yard run in the second frame, but the kick after failed, leaving the score at 13-8.
As the first half continued to wind down, Cascade sat ready to pull within two points, prompting a Gabe Perez 27-yard field goal try.
But the kick was blocked and returned 63 yards to the end zone by Giles County’s Cooper White, bumping the Bobcat lead to 19-8 at the half.
From there, Giles County’s run game took control.
The Bobcats tacked on three more rushing touchdowns in the second half to pull away for the comfortable margin of victory.
Collier totaled 143 yards on 15 carries to lead all rushers on the night.
Zimmerman had 17 yards on 10 carries, while quarterback Sam Bradley had 25 yards on 10 touches as well.
Bradley completed 11-of-18 attempts for 79 yards.
Cascade’s region slate doesn’t get any easier, as the Champs will travel to Chapel Hill on Friday night to face the Forrest Rockets (5-2, 1-1) who defeated Community last week.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Giles Co. 7 12 16 7 — 42
Cascade 8 0 0 0 — 8
First Quarter
GC — Pierson Collier 39 pass from Xavier Randolph, (Alvaro Cabrera kick), 8:51.
C — Nate Zimmerman 1 run, (Zimmerman 2pt. run), 1:41.
Second Quarter
GC — Randolph 5 run, (kick failed), 7:55.
GC — Cooper White 63 blocked kick return, (kick blocked), :10.
Third Quarter
GC — Dallas Buckner 6 run, (Randolph 2pt. run), 8:11.
GC — Collier 1 run, (Collier 2pt. pass from Randolph), 4:19.
Fourth Quarter
GC — Collier 1 run, (Cabrera kick), 2:59.