Seniors fall in Championship, Take Silver in Conference

What started out so promising for the Senior Tigers, slowly turned sour in Saturday’s conference championship game in Livingston.  Marred by the mud and momentum, the Tigers fell to the Overton County Outlaws, 18-6 to finish the season second in the conference.

The fumble that wasn’t in last Saturday’s championship game

After receiving the opening kickoff, DeKalb quarterback Kolter Kilgore methodically marched his team 40 yards downfield in the Tigers’ opening possession, before scrambling into the end zone from 6 yards out to put DeKalb on the board first.  The PAT failed but the DC crowd saw their team maintain total control of the Overton County Defense and eat up all but 1:39 of the first quarter clock, and looked to have everything clicking along perfectly, in what seemed as though was just going to be another “business as usual” night for the Black and Gold.

That was the first quarter, but unfortunately the second quarter wouldn’t be nearly as kind.

Desmond Nokes led the way for DeKalb on the ground Saturday.

After receiving the ball at their own 44 yard line, the Outlaws broke free from scrimmage and scored on a 44 yard touchdown run to tie the game early in the second quarter.  Disaster then struck DeKalb as Overton County was able recover the kickoff, putting them in business again this time at the DeKalb 38 yard line.  The DC defense held though, turning the Outlaws away at the 5 yard line.

DeKalb couldn’t manage a first down though and was forced to punt the ball back to Overton, setting the Outlaws back up on offense, again at the 38 yard line.  Two plays later, in what seemed to be the icepick in the heart for DeKalb, Colby Barnes and Issac Knowles converged on Overton’s quarterback, seeming knocking the ball free and running in for a Tiger touchdown.  However, the quarterback was marked down on the play, and on the next play the Outlaws connected on a 31 yard bomb to put Overton County in scoring position again just before the half.

Two plays later, the game was 12-6 Overton County, the half was over and Black and Gold Nation was in stunned silence.

Ari White’s interception that wasn’t in DeKalb’s championship game last Saturday night.

When the game resumed in the second half, the Tiger Defense tried to take back control of the game, forcing Overton into a 3 and out.  However DeKalb would fumble the ball back to the Outlaws on the next play and Overton County put together an impressive 38 yard drive, eating away at the clock.  Tiger defensive back, Ari White looked like he had halted the drive, intercepting a pass at the 30, but the interception was taken away when it was deemed that White interfered on the play.

This proved to be the death knell for DeKalb as Overton County took the ball in for a touchdown and the Championship, 18-6.

Kolter Kilgore hands off to Issac Knowles in last Saturday’s game vs. Overton County.

For the game, tailback Desmond Nokes led the way for DeKalb offensively with 57 yards on the ground.  Issac Knowles followed with 30 yards rushing and two Tigers, Josh May and Kolter Kilgore each had 3 yards in the game.

Defensively, Josh May led the way with 7 tackles, Colby Barnes and Issac Knowles each had 5, Desmond Nokes and Ari White each had 4, Brady Hale, Nathaniel Crook and Berkley Pedigo each had 2, while 5 Tigers, Shadie Rankhorn, Joel Rader, Tyler Estes, Conner Crabtree and Andrew Vickers each had 1.

The Senior Tiger Cheerleaders have kept the crowd inspired all season long.

The DC Offensive Line