Both offenses lit up the scoreboard on Friday night, but North Greene never could find the stop it needed on defense and watched Cloudland prevail 58-51 in a District 1-1A shootout in Baileyton.
“These type of game are fun, our kids should hold their heads up high. They competed until the very end. I mean you’re down two scores with two minutes left and you still give yourself a chance to go win the ball game at the end. Game like this come down to four or five plays and the majority of them didn’t go our way.”
The Huskies, clad in all white, won the coin toss and elected to receive. Just 48 seconds into the game Leon Johnson scampered 55 yards through the heart of the Cloudland defense for the games first points, Juan Soto made good on the extra point try and the Huskies were quickly up 7-0.
Exactly two minutes later Blake Hurd pounced on a Highlander fumble and the Huskies setup shop at their own 43-yard line. From there the Huskies went on a 14-play drive that took almost six minutes off the clock and ended with a Brandon Weems four-yard touchdown run.
The Landers got themselves on track and moved the ball down field 56 yards, all on the ground, with Landon Barnette scoring from four yards out as time expired in the first quarter. The two-point conversion was good, and the Husky lead was cut to 14-8 heading into the second quarter.
North Greene struck quickly on the ensuing drive as Thomas Darnell called is own number, taking the quarterback keeper around the left side for a 45-yard touchdown run. Soto was once again good with the PAT to put the Huskies up 21-8.
In about one minute of clock time it was Barnette again, this time a 49-yard run up the middle for his second touchdown of the game, the two-point conversion was short, but it became clear that we were in for an offensive explosion at 21-14 with 9:22 remaining in the second quarter.
After the Huskies recovered the onside kick Darnell hit Brandon Weems for a 39-yard gain down the the Landers 20-yard line. Darnell found Weems again for a 10-yard gain then tossed a 10-yard pass to Kelton Eastep in the end zone for another score. The Huskies were up 28-14 with over six minutes still to play in the first half.
The Highlanders found their way into the end zone again, and again it was Barnette this time from 46 yards out.
Cloudland tried the onside kick again and this time it was successful. The Highlanders wasted little time in scoring, and it was Barnette for the fourth time of the half entering the end zone. The two-point try was good and Cloudland was up 30-28.
North Greene went into the two-minute drill with Darnell leading they way by hitting on passes to Eastep and Brandon Weems. With 21 seconds left before halftime he fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to Eastep to regain the lead 35-30 after Soto’s kick.
Normally with just a few seconds remaining in the half and only trailing by five points teams take a knee and go into halftime, but not the Landers. Bryce Birchfield took the quarterback keeper 52 yards for a touchdown as time expired.
In less than five minutes the Huskies went from having a two-score lead to trailing at halftime 36-35.
Birchfield opened the scoring as the third quarter got underway with another long run of 41 yards. The two-point conversion was no good to keep the score within reach at 42-35.
On North Greene’s ensuing drive Darnell’s pass was intercepted, and it didn’t take Cloudland long to capitalize. This time Grayson Cole crossed the goal line. The two-point conversion attempt was good this time and the Landers had a two-score lead at 50-35.
North Greene answered with a scoring drive of their own. Johnson did most of the damage on the ground, with runs of 11 and 13 yards respectively. Then he covered the final five yards at the 2:14 mark of the third quarter. The Huskies went for the 2-point conversion and lined up in the swinging gate formation. Darnell took off to the right and walked into the end zone to cut the score to 50-43.
The Lander were content in running the ball and running out the clock going on a drive that consumed over eight minutes and ultimately ended with a short touchdown run from Cole. The two-point conversion had the Landers up 15 points at 58-43 with just over six minutes to play in the game.
The Huskies turned the ball over on downs, but the defense held, and the Landers punted for the first time in the game. North Greene had a faint heartbeat with just over two minutes to play.
With the Huskies now in desperation mode Darnell hit Brandon Weems for 17 yards and then for 35 in the back of end zone. The two-point try was once again good to cut the score to 58-51 with exactly one minute to play.
The Huskies had no other alternative but the onside kick, Soto’s kick bounced around and about Huskies had a hand on it but ultimately Cloudland took possession.
The high scoring affair ended with the Huskies on the short end of a 58-51 game.
Even with the loss the Huskies are still in the playoff picture and will be home next week for another region game against Sunbright.
North Greene falls to 3-2 in Region 1-1A play while Cloudland improves to 4-1. Hampton sits on top of the league at 5-0 while Cosby is also 4-1. If Hampton beats Cosby and Cloudland over the final two weeks of the regular season, and North Greene beats both Sunbright and Unaka in its final two games North Greene would still get the No.2 seed going into the playoffs.
Darnell led the Huskies offensive attack with 154 yards passing with two touchdowns and another 96 on the ground with another touchdown. Johnson topped the century mark with 107 yards and added a touchdown.
For Cloudland posted two rushers with over 100 yards, Barnette had 167 yards and four scores, and Cole added 110 yards and two touchdowns.
