Trilogies are often better in the first or second run. This time proved to be almost identical, as the Wildcats for the third straight season took down a solid Elbert County team to deny them the inside track for the 8-AA title. This time Rabun won 45-14 on Friday night in Tiger.
The Cats (6-1; 4-0) used four rushing touchdowns by Brison Beck, turning a slim 7-0 first quarter lead into a 21-0 lead into the break. Elbert County’s solid third quarter saw it get on the board and close within 27-7, but the Wildcats scored 18 unanswered before the Blue Devils scored again with under a minute to go.
Elbert County (4-3; 2-2) came in with one loss in region play to an undefeated Union County team. With a win over Rabun, the Blue Devils could have made the upcoming Rabun/Union game that much more intriguing when trying to clear up the blurry 8-AA picture.
The game’s first score came courtesy of Beck about midway through the first on a 43-yard touchdown run. He followed that up with another TD run from 17-yards out midway through the second to put Rabun up 14-0. Gunner Stockton had a huge run to set up Beck’s second score.
Just before the break, Stockton scored a rushing touchdown from the one, after completing a pass to Austin Jones that got the Wildcats inside the five.
The 21-0 lead became 27-0 in the third quarter when the Wildcats struck again with Beck’s third scoring run, this one from seven yards out. The two-point try was no good.
The Blue Devils finally got on the board after DJ Ardister found Shun Allen with a deep ball to get inside the one. Ardister ran it in on the next play to close the gap to 27-7. Then came the Wildcats again, scoring 18 straight in the fourth quarter, including a Stockton-to-Austin Sosebee 26-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion pass to Tate Ramey, followed by Becks’ fourth touchdown of the night from seven yards out.
After a Tito Diaz long field goal late in the fourth, Elbert got one last shot in with under a minute left when Ardister found Quinn Hall for the final points of the game. Rabun County travels next week to Social Circle.
