Nine lead changes marked a wild barn-burner at Commerce in Week Eight, as the Tigers rallied to take a pivotal 42-38 win over visiting Rabun County in what proved to be the third straight thriller in the trilogy. In the back-and-forth contest, Jaiden Daniels (3 TDs) and Reid Giles (5 TDs) put on a showcase for the ages.
Each of the last three episodes of this series has played out to a be barn-burner. #6 Rabun County (5-2; 2-1 in 8-A DI) held a 24-21 halftime lead against #9-ranked Commerce (4-3; 2-1).
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Ty Truelove’s much-anticipated return from injury started out rough, as he was picked off on his first attempt by Mac Mullis. That resulted in a 24-yd TD run by Tysean Wiggins. Rabun wasted no time in retaliating, as Truelove hit Reid Giles for a 41-yd TD to tie the game. Before the end of the first, the Cats got a go-ahead 33-yd field goal by Bryan Avila.
The second was crazy, and started on the first play when Jaiden Daniels raced downfield for an electrifying 77-yd TD and the 14-10 lead. Just under 2 minutes later, Rabun County pulled back ahead with a Giles 14-yd TD.
Not to be outdone in the see-saw battle, the Tigers just over a minute later got another gasser from Daniels, who weaved in and out of traffic with a spin cycle until he collapsed in the end zone on what went as a 72-yd TD. That had Commerce up 21-17 with 8:32 left in the half.
Truelove marched the team down the field, using Giles until the latter scored from 3 yards out to reclaim the Rabun lead at 24-21 with 4:33 to go. That score held to the break.
The Tigers immediately grabbed back that lead, as Wiggins found a hole and sprinted for a 75-yd TD that gave the home team the 28-24 lead. The ensuing kickoff was fielded by Giles, who took it 90 yards for the 31-28 lead. True to form, the battle continued with Daniels adding his third TD of the game on a 31-yd burst with 2:56 left in the quarter. Commerce was up 35-31 heading into the fourth.
The Tigers finally added some insurance with 9:32 to go in the game, as Wiggins scored his third TD of the contest on a 14-yd run that had Commerce ahead 42-31. Giles added his fifth touchdown less than a minute later on a 48-yd run.
Commerce then bled out the clock in the final six-plus minutes, kneeling off in the final seconds to secure the win. The Tigers and Wildcats are both now 2-1 in region play.
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