The Long County Blue Tide football team now find themselves in a must-win situation in one of their last two games to advance to the state playoffs for the fourth straight year. This comes after the team dropped another close, defensive struggle to the Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets on Friday, falling 15-12.
The loss drops the Tide to 6-2 and 5-2 in the region, putting them pretty much out of range to host a playoff game. They are still well within reach of their fourth straight playoff appearance and a team-record seventh win.
Nick Contreras’ attempt at a school-record 46-yard field goal in the final minute went left, and the Yellow Jackets ran out the clock with two kneeldowns.
Neither offense generated much through the first quarter and change. A holding call cut Colby Smith’s 63-yard would-be touchdown on a screen pass to a 26-yard gain, and the Tide eventually forced a SEB punt from the Tide 40-yard line.
Another three and out for the Jackets led to the Tide taking over at their own 10. The Tide finally found some life on offense as Jason Familia found room up the middle, breaking off a 40-yard run.
A SEB facemask penalty gave the Tide another 15 yards, and Cortney Charles finished off the drive from 21 yards out to put the Tide up 6-0 with 1:49 left in the half.
A punt on the following SEB possession wound up hitting a Tide player, who was blocked into the ball, giving the Yellow Jackets possession at the Long County 43 with 20 seconds left. Chris Hatfield picked off Rhett Morgan’s pass on the next play, ending the threat.
The Tide forced another three and out and a punt. The ball bounced backwards and was touched by a Tide player, who was blocked into the ball.
On Long County’s first possession of the second half, Jehmiel Pettis got the call on third-and-4 and found 17 yards to the 27. That led to Jay’Quan Johnson scoring from six yards out to make the score 12-0 with 3:15 left in the third.
Southeast Bulloch wasted little time answering as they finally got into the endzone. Smith got the call from his 32 and broke a few tackles to go 68 yards for the score, bringing the Jackets within five.
The Tide were around midfield late in the third. On the final play of the quarter, the Tide got a little tricky as they went for a double reverse pass, but Hatfield’s shot down the field was intercepted.
The Jackets took over at the Tide 46 as the fourth quarter began. They ate up 6:17 off the clock and ran 12 plays, the final being Smith’s 3-yard touchdown run. SEB completed a two-point conversion pass for a 15-12 lead with 5:43 left in the game.
The Tide took over from their own 30 and drove to the SEB 19 before a tackle behind the line and a sack pushed them back to the 27 with 57 seconds left on the clock. They called on Contreras to attempt a game-tying kick.
They will travel to Whitemarsh Island next Friday to take on the winless Islands Sharks in a game that will clinch them the playoff berth with a win.
Their final regular season game will be against the region-leading Calvary Day Cavaliers on Friday, November 8. State playoffs begin Friday, November 15.
