Hampton took its best shot on Thursday night in a Region 1-2A matchup with South Greene, but the Rebels found the right answers late to score the final 21 points, all in the fourth quarter, to earn a 35-20 win in the regular season finale.
“We knew it was going to be a tough ball game. It doesn’t matter what the record is Hampton comes to play,” South Greene Shawn Jones said. “In the fourth quarter we decided we were going to play. We had to take the hits and keep getting up. We just had to suck it up and get more physical, and we finally did that. This was just a heck of a football game between two rivals.”
With the win South Greene closes the regular season on an eight-game win streak to improve to 8-1 on the year. They also wrap up Region 1-2A play with a perfect 5-0 record, and will be the No.1 seed going into the playoffs. The first round of the TSSAA Class 2A playoffs start next week and Tellico Plains (6-4) will visit Rebel Hill.
“It’s big to go into the playoffs on a win, and we feel like if we stay healthy and we stay smart we can make a run,” South Greene coach Shawn Jones said. “It’s one game at a time now, because if you get beat you’re going to the house.”
With 6:45 left in the game Hampton took the lead when wildcat quarterback Dom Burleson charged up the middle. Once he got into the second level there were no Rebels there to catch him, and the speedster raced 55-yard for a touchdown. South Greene did stop Burleson on the two-point try, but Hampton held a 20-14 advantage.
Burleson carried the ball on 34 of Hampton’s 56 offensive snaps and churned out 297 yards on the ground.
The Bulldogs’ lead was short lived. After a short kickoff the Rebels needed one play to go back in front. Quarterback Jacob Susong fired the ball to Jeff Dotson on a seam route. Susong found his favorite target on the day in open space in the middle of the field, and then Dotson ran away from everyone for the 53-yard score. Brant Wilhoit’s extra point put South Greene in front 21-20.
Hampton got backed up on its ensuing possession with a negative run by Isaih Belcher and a sideline interference penalty. After some confusion among the officials the Bulldogs lost a down and had to punt on what should have been third and 11.
The Rebels took advantage of the break and moved 48 yards in five plays. Lucas Couch picked up 21 yards on a sideline grab to move the chains. Then from the 16-yard line Susong lobbed a pass to Trey Gentry on a bubble screen. The defense met the senior receiver at the pylon but he powered his way into the endzone for a 28-20 South Greene lead with 2:20 left to play.
Susong stepped up in a big way late in the game on Friday and made some of the biggest plays of the night to help the Rebels rally. He finished the game 8-of-13 passing for 124 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
“I almost killed him after he threw the interception in the third quarter, but Jacob made some great plays late,” Jones said. “That’s what a senior does. On that last touchdown to Trey we were supposed to run the ball, but my two seniors made a check. They saw it was going to work, made the check, and then made a huge play.”
On the ensuing kickoff the Rebels knocked the ball out of Kaden Jones hands. Simon Burns scooped it up and returned the fumble 24 yards for a score that effectively sealed the contest. The Rebels led 35-20 with 2:12 left to play.
Friday’s action started with Hampton marching eight yards in 7:45. Burleson carried the ball nine times on the 13-play drive before Belcher found the endzone from 10 yards away. Burleson ran in the two-point try for an 8-0 lead.
On the kickoff that followed Nash Rader bobbled Noah Nichols’ boot and the ball tumbled to the one-yard line. With the Bulldogs closing in Rader made a couple defenders miss before breaking to the outside and returning the kick 99 yards for a touchdown. Wilhoit’s extra point closed the gap to 8-7.
South Greene’s offense did not touch the ball for the first time until there were under eight minutes left in the second quarter and they did not score until their second possession late in the first half.
A coffin-corner punt by Wilhoit and a three-and-out by the defense set up the Rebels with good field position with 1:51 left in the first half.
South Greene started 42 yards away from its own goal line and picked up a quick 12-yards when Susong hit Dotson for 12 yards. On third and long Susong let the defense drop before handing to Rader on draw. The speedy tailback found some blocks in the second level and raced 28 yards to the goal line. With 48 seconds left in the half South Greene led 14-8.
On Hampton’s first drive of the second half Burleson broke free on fourth down and rumbled 35 yards for the tying touchdown. A stop on the two-point try kept the Bulldogs from taking the lead.
Hampton finished the night with 370 yards of offense, all on the ground. Belcher added 76 rushing yards.
South Greene produced 198 yards of offense. Rader ran for 58 yards on 10 carries, and Dotson had three catches for 76 yards.
Hampton will travel to York Institute next week in the first round of the playoffs.
