TUNNEL HILL — Thanks to a flurry of explosive offensive plays late in the first half and early in the second combined with a hard-hitting defense, Northwest Whitfield’s undefeated start continued into Region 7-3A play.
The Bruins (5-0, 1-0 Region 7-3A) dominated the Gilmer Bobcats (2-3, Region 7-3A 0-1) 38-10 in both team’s first region game of the season.
“(The Bruins) are super good on offense and I thought our secondary and our linebackers did an excellent job,” said Bruins head coach Josh Robinson. “I thought our line played probably the best anybody’s played against them all year. And our offensive was magnificent tonight. It was exactly how we want to win a ballgame. (Gilmer) didn’t get a ton of possessions. We got a few turnovers and played tough defense.”
The duel in Tunnel Hill began with an early back-and-forth tussle, with each team scoring once between two possessions each in the first quarter.
The first came five minutes into the game, with Gilmer quarterback Issac Rellinger handing the ball off to Wyatt Stokes for a 4-yard rushing TD following a long drive. A successful PAT put the Bobcats in the lead 7-0 for the only time in the game.
That lead would last around one solitary minute after Northwest’s Evan Jones barreled down the field for a 69-yard rushing TD to tie the score 7-7 after a Nery Martinez PAT.
Bruins quarterback Gavin Nuckolls would make plays in the air and on the ground throughout the night, including running into the end zone for 17-yard rushing TD just seconds into the second quarter.
The following Gilmer possession would bear their second — and final — points of the game, courtesy of a 38-yard field goal from Carter Gearhart after a brutal Bruins defense stopped them at the Northwest 22, bringing the score to 14-10.
A Lucas Amos sack gave the Bruins the ball back with two minutes left in the first half, opening the door for another Nuckolls run-in — this time from the 1 yard line — with just 12 seconds left in the half to extend the lead to 21-10.
With Northwest getting the ball to begin the second, a 61-yard rushing TD from Jones on a reverse quickly pushed the lead to 28-10, a 14-point blitz.
Northwest’s Caden Ramsey would keep the momentum going on defense with a fumble recovery at the Gilmer 14, leading the way for a Bruin field goal attempt of their own from Martinez. The successful 37-yard field goal put the score at 31-10.
The Bruin defense continued to batter the Bobcats throughout the remainder of the game, keeping Gilmer to fourth-down punts and turnovers on downs.
The final score by the Bruins came with 2:36 left in the third quarter and saw Nuckolls take to the air and connect with Akendris Douglas for a 25-yard passing TD.
The Bruins would battle down to Bobcat territory once more late in the game thanks to a 30-yard Nuckolls-Douglas connection, eventually bringing them down to the Gilmer 1 yard line, but the Bobcats would stop them just short of another touchdown attempt from Jayce Santiago.
Including the win against the Bobcats, Northwest has given up just 29 points the entire season across five games.
“We’ve got a lot of really talented players,” said Robinson. “We’ve got guys who are fourth and fifth receivers that a lot of years would be our third guy. And they block hard. The kids are bought in right now and it’s easy when you win. So, let’s just keep winning. I’m really proud of our guys and the execution that they had tonight.”
Northwest continues region play next Friday at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to Ringgold to square off against Heritage.