Choctaws come back to take 13-12 win over Tigers

The Demopolis Tigers traveled to Centreville to take on the Bibb County Choctaws in a region matchup Friday night. After a stalemate in the first half, the Tigers scored 12 points over a span of a little more than a minute in the third quarter. However, the Choctaws would answer with 13 points in the fourth quarter and hold on for the 13-12 win over the Tigers.

Neither the Tigers nor the Choctaws could get any traction in the first quarter, which ended scoreless. The second quarter was much of the same, with the exception of a 55-yard Choctaw run which went down to the Tigers’ 10-yard line with 12 seconds to go in the first half. The Tigers defense held and forced a missed field goal attempt that resulted in a scoreless first half.

The Tigers received the opening second half kickoff and drove to the Choctaws 10-yard line. The Tigers came up just inches short on a fourth down conversion attempt and turned the ball over on downs.

The Tigers’ defense held and forced a Choctaw punt. C.J. Williams took the punt down the Choctaw side of the field for an apparent score. However, the Tigers were flagged for a block in the back and the score was nullified.

Later on the same possession, the Tigers made up for the penalty when Peyton Stevenson connected with Jaqualon Smith for a 27-yard catch and run for the Tigers’ first score of the night. The unsuccessful PAT gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead with 5:58 to go in the third quarter.

On the second play of the Choctaws ensuing possession, a Choctaw received was hit and fumbled the ball. C.J. Williams scooped up the ball and outran everyone 35 yards to the end zone. The 2-point conversion try was unsuccessful, leaving the Tigers with a 12-0 lead over the Choctaws at the 4:57 mark of the third quarter. The third quarter would end with the Tigers holding that lead.

With 8:47 to go in the fourth quarter, the Choctaws turned a 4th & 2 conversion attempt into a 21-yard scoring run. The successful PAT pulled the Choctaws to within five points at 12-7.

The Choctaws would intercept a pass on the Tigers’ ensuing possession. However, the Tigers would hold the Choctaws on a 4th & 7 conversion attempt to take over on downs at their own 35 yard line.

After the Choctaws held the Tigers and forced a punt, the Choctaws would face a 4th & 2 from the Tigers’ 39 with 2:08 to go in the game. The Choctaws turned the attempt into a 39-yard touchdown on a jump pass. The PAT failed but the Choctaws took a 13-12 lead with 1:58 to go.

On the Tigers’ next possession, the Choctaws picked off a pass at the 1:40 mark. As the Choctaws attempted to run out the clock, a well place timeout gave the Tigers one last possession with .7 seconds on the clock. An incomplete pass ended the game and the Choctaws claimed the 13-12 region win.

“I thought they outplayed us and outcoached us. We’ve got to do a better job on offense, on defense, the whole works,” Demopolis head coach Brian Seymore commented after the game. “We’ve got to move forward and get better.”

“If this doesn’t hurt enough to grow on, we’re not going to be a very good football team,” Seymore said, regarding the loss. “Kudos to coach (Matt) Geohagan and his team. They outplayed us. They were physical. We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and find some things we can hang our hat on offensively. We’ve got to score more than one touchdown a game.”

Demopolis (2-1, 0-1 region) will face Marbury, another region foe, next week at Tiger Stadium in Demopolis.