It may not have been the prettiest of games, but it got the job done.
Banks County beat Oglethorpe 42-20, Halloween night to still be in the fight for a playoff spot.
The Leopards started strong, winning the toss and scoring just minutes into the game with a carry by Demetric Dempson. Oglethorpe fumbled the ball on the next play allowing the Leopards to recover and retake possession.
Tyler Hulsey kicked a field goal putting the Leopards up 10-0 with seven minutes left on the clock.
A strong Banks defense held the Oglethorpe Patriots until the last two minutes of the quarter. Oglethorpe scored a touchdown but was denied the PAT.
Justin Beasley added to the Banks’ lead two minutes into the second quarter, 16-6. Both sides traded yardage for most of the quarter, Oglethorpe got close enough to kick a field goal six minutes in, but another Beasley carry extended the Leopard lead out to 22-9 ending the half.
The third quarter picked up some excitement after a Banks interception late in the quarter. The Leopards turned again to the go to man for the game, Beasley, for another touchdown. Despite a fumble recovery by Oglethorpe and a long rush, the Patriots’ last chance came down to the fourth quarter.
Starting around 12 and goal, the Patriots scored on a fourth down and pulled out a two-point conversion moving them within 11 points of Banks.
An onside kick returned possession to Oglethorpe. Oglethorpe drew within competing distance of Banks after a field goal six minutes into the last quarter. With the score 28-20, Chris Porter scored on a quarterback keeper. The Leopards made a successful two-point attempt to extend the score out to 36-20. Beasley scored the last touchdown of the game and secured the Leopard win with two minutes left on the clock.
The Oglethorpe rally in the fourth, perfectly illustrated what coach Blair Armstrong said after the game.
“Championship teams cannot worry about who the opponent is,” Armstrong said, “You have to do your jobs and play at the same level.”
Armstrong also said that in the first quarter it looked like Banks County, but the rest of the game didn’t look like that.
“We came out really well, but just kind of relaxed,” said Armstrong. “That has been a fear of mine, the guys get a little excited and think we can beat them 50-0. We let them stay close.”
Armstrong said that he believes Banks could have beat Oglethorpe 50-0 if the Leopards had played 100 percent like they are capable.
“We preached and preached to our kids that they had to play hard all 48 minutes, but when [Oglethorpe] bit us a little bit we woke up and finished strong.”
See Thursday's edition of The Banks County News for a breakdown of this Friday's Union County game.
