The Adairsville Tigers defeated the Pepperell Dragons 31-14 on Thursday night, thanks to a 24-0 run in the second half.
Adairsville received the opening kickoff and quickly found their rhythm, maintaining a long drive that chewed up nearly half of the first quarter. Despite their early success moving the ball, the Tigers couldn’t score and ended up punting to Pepperell.
The Dragons capitalized quickly, scoring a 70-yard rushing touchdown to take a 7-0 lead with 6:02 left in the first quarter. Although this big play was a setback for the Tigers, they responded swiftly. Ethan Long connected with Colton Sanford for a 41-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter.
Late in the first quarter, Adairsville fumbled the ball, giving Pepperell an opportunity to reclaim the lead. While the Dragons didn’t score immediately after the turnover, they struck late in the first half with a wild 60-yard touchdown. Their quarterback fumbled the snap, recovered it, and threw a pass to a wide-open receiver, putting Pepperell ahead 14-7 at halftime.
The third quarter started quietly until Long found Tre Winters for a 5-yard touchdown pass, tying the game at 14-14 with about five minutes left in the quarter. This touchdown ignited a strong performance from Adairsville. On Pepperell’s next drive, the Tigers forced a fumble and recovered it on the Dragons’ side of the 50-yard line. A few plays later, Winters caught a screen pass and ran it 35 yards into the end zone, giving Adairsville a 21-14 lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Adairsville extended their lead early in the fourth quarter when Long connected with Sanford again, this time for a 7-yard touchdown pass, making it 28-14 with eight minutes to go. Shortly after, Winters intercepted a pass, setting up the Tigers at Pepperell’s 19-yard line with about three minutes left. Adairsville capped off their scoring with a 47-yard field goal, securing a 31-14 lead with a minute remaining. The Tigers ran out the clock to seal their 17-point road victory.
Next Friday, the Adairsville Tigers will face the Cass Colonels at Doug Cochran Stadium. You can stream the game on Bartow Sports Zone or the Adairsville Sports Network.