LUDOWICI — The Long County Blue Tide football team had a chance to host the first round of the state playoffs for the first time in team history, but they needed a win in their final regular season game to do so. They could not get the job done as they fell to the Calvary Day Cavaliers 41-7 on Friday, November 8.

The Blue Tide will open the Class AAA state playoffs November 15 at Upson-Lee in Thomaston. The Cavaliers have been firmly slotted in the top five of state rankings for most of the season and they already had clinched the Region 3-AAA championship coming into the game.

The Tide, however, had a lot to play for. But it seemed the Cavaliers were just too much for the Tide as they jumped on them early.

They used a series of quick, short passes to move down the field before they scored on a one-handed snag in the endzone by receiver Thomas Blackshear.

With a 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game, the Cavaliers got the ball back on a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return. Less than 90 seconds later, they scored again to put the Tide behind 14-0 with 8:33 left in the first quarter.

The hits kept on coming for the Tide as they were forced to punt on their first possession. The Cavaliers blocked the punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown to go up 21-0 with 5:35 left in the quarter.

The Tide finally found a little life as Cortney Charles returned the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. However, there was a penalty and a lot of confusion on the field.

The final ruling was a penalty against the Cavaliers — one that was never explained — and an inadvertent whistle on the return. This wiped out the touchdown, but gave the Tide a first and goal at the Cavaliers 10.

Two plays later, Jay’Quan Johnson went into the endzone untouched from 6 yards out to make the score 21-7 with 4:36 left in the quarter.

The Cavaliers offense used their short, quick passes to move down the field again. They faced a first down at the Tide 29 and picked up 19 yards to the 10 but a personal foul gave them five more yards to the 5.

They finished off the drive two plays later on a 2-yard run to go up 28-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Tide defense forced two field goal attempts late in the half before a 27yard pass with a minute left made the score 41-7 at the break.

With the loss, the first time the Tide have allowed more than 18 points all year, the Tide finished the regular season 7-3 and 6-3 in the region. The Upson-Lee Knights also enter the playoffs at 7-3 and are on a five-game winning streak.