Juniors Take Third Place, Defeat Fentress County 18-12

The DeKalb County Jr. Pro Junior Tigers closed out the 2015 season Saturday in the Middle Tennessee Football Conference Championships in Livingston, defeating the Fentress County Bulldogs, 18-12 to claim third place for the year.

After starting the game strong with a touchdown drive that took all but 29 seconds of the first quarter, Tiger tight end Stetson Agee broke free around end and scored from 7 yards out.  Mason Winter would catch the point after to put the Tigers up by 8, late in the first quarter.

The Tigers reeled slightly in the second, watching the high powered Bulldog offense strike quickly to close out the quarter before taking the lead later in the second, sending the Tigers into the break on the wrong end of the scoreboard, trailing Fentress County 12-8.

DeKalb would make adjustments on both half of the ball in the second half, though, and would finally re-establish some consistency on offense while the Black and Gold Defense would play perhaps its best half of the season, completely stifling the Bulldog offense and keeping Fentress Count out of the end zone for the rest of the game.

Quarterback Briz Trapp played perhaps his most complete game of the season, going 6 of 9 for 31 yards through the air and making some key runs in the game, adding another 28 yards rushing to his day’s work.  The Tiger receiving core made huge improvements from the previous week with 4 Tigers, Mason Winter, Conner Close, Seth Cantrell and Westin Wright all getting into the action with receptions on the day.

Gabe Hollingsworth led the way on defense for the Tigers, recording 4 tackles on the day.  But it was Tiger tackle, Trey Crabtree that made perhaps the play of the game for DeKalb.  With DeKalb still sputtering offensively in the fourth quarter, Crabtree got into the Bulldog backfield and sacked the Fentress County quarterback for a huge Tiger safety to draw the DeKalb to within 2, 12-10, and giving the DC offense just what it needed…momentum.

It wouldn’t take long for DeKalb to put the game away.

After big runs by Konner Young and Mason Winter, Trapp would put the ball into the end zone for the Tigers, scrambling 10 yards to give the Tigers the lead.  Seth Cantrell would convert the PAT and the Tigers would take the game and the bronze trophy, 18-12.

For the game receiving, Westin Wright led the way with 17 yards, Seth Cantrell had 15 and Conner Close added 2.  Rushing, Konner Young ran 12 times for 34 yards, Briz Trapp had 28 yards and a touchdown, Stetson Agee had 25 yards and a touchdown, Conner Close had 21 yards and Mason Winter had 15 yards in the game.

Defensively, Gabe Hollingsworth had 4 tackles, while Kaleb Spears and Stetson Agee each had two tackles and Mason Winter, Conner Close and Trey Crabtree had one, with Crabtree adding a sack and a safety.