TALLAHASSEE – It doesn’t matter where they go all be it Pensacola or Tallahassee, No. 6 seeded Bolles continues to go on the road and take care of business.
This time the victim was No. 2 Tallahassee Godby as the Bolles Bulldogs pulled another upset in a 32-27 win at Gene Gox Stadium.
Behind an opportunistic defense and a productive offense, Bolles found a way to win its second straight playoff game on the road.
With under three minutes left in the game and clinging to a 31-27 lead, Bolles lined up for a routine punt knowing they had to make at least one more stop on defense to pull it out.
Fortunately they didn’t have to, as punter Jack Brady was hit after getting the punt off, and officials ruled roughing the passer and an automatic first down, giving the Bulldogs the ball back with three minutes remaining.
Kel McCloud 2 yard run gave them a first down on third and 1 allowing Bolles to run out the rest of the clock taking a couple of knees.
It definitely wasn’t easy though as Godby jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game thanks to a Trey Fisher 11 yard pass to Trevor Solomon-Wilson on a slant play; however it took one play for Bolles to get back in it as McCloud raced 80 yards on the first play of scrimmage to cut the lead to 7-6. However, Godby blocked the point after attempt preventing Bolles from tying the game, the first of many blunders on special teams for both.
Godby didn’t waste any time as Fisher connected with Solomon-Wilson again for a 76 yard completion to put Godby back in front 14-6 just a minute later.
Three minutes later, Bolles was back in the red zone as McCloud busted off a 20 yard run and Cooper Sullivan’s 5 yard run and Kyle Coffindaffer reception off a swinging gate point after attempt tied the game at 14-14 with 2:44 left in the first quarter.
As productive as both offenses were, neither team could hold onto the ball through out the night.
Bryson Kirksey picked off Fisher to give the Bulldogs the ball back at the 15 yard line, but McCloud turned it right back over on the ensuing play to give the Cougars the ball again.
Just as Godby was putting together a solid lengthy drive to possible retake the lead but Coffindaffer stripped the ball out of tailback Jacquez Yant’s hands and teammate Simon Brackin scooped it up and raced 72 yards for a score giving Bolles a 20-14 lead minutes into the second quarter. The point after attempt was fumbled and Brady was unable to get the kick off keeping the score a six point lead.
The defense came through again stuffing Godby on a fourth and one play, to give the Bulldogs the ball back midway through the second quarter.
After a couple of great plays by the Cougar defense, the offense got the ball back again with under three minutes left in the first half. Yet again, Fisher makes a mistake as CJ Grimes picks him off to give Bolles the ball back.
Both teams traded possessions in the final minutes of the first half before Bolles was able to run it out and take a 20-14 halftime lead after a Coffindaffer sack forced Godby to punt it away again.
As the third quarter started, the turnovers continued still.
Bolles received the second half kickoff and after picking up a first down they immediately turned the ball over on its opening drive of the third quarter. Netting hit Chris Sanders on a second and 13 play for a 15 yard gain to pick up another first down for the Bulldogs, but the Bulldogs turned it right back over on the next play thanks to another fumble, the fifth combined turnover of the game.
Godby took advantage of the turnover as Tony Street rumbled 18 yards for a score to give Godby the lead again at 21-20 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Bolles answered on its next drive as quarterback Ben Netting faked a pass to Chris Sanders and hit a wide open McCloud in the end zone to put Bolles back ahead 26-21 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Brady launched one deep down the field and Alvin Jones III failed to pick it up and Kirksey was able to recover it inside the 20-yard line for another turnover. McCloud 2 yard run put Bolles ahead 32-21 with under a minute left in the third quarter.
Fisher connected with Solomon-Wilson on a 62 yard completion to put Godby inside the 11-yard line. Coffindaffer made another tackle for a loss on the next play but not before Fisher hit Ja’heim Knight for a 12 yard fade to cut the lead to 32-27 with 10:20 left in the game.
With Godby on the move, Coffindaffer sacked Fisher for a loss to force third and ten, and the Cougars appeared to be stopped on the ensuing play as Kirksey picked up an apparent fumble and returned it down the field before officials blew the play dead as Kirksey spinned the ball on the ground after the turnover and drew a personal foul penalty perhaps in frustration.
Godby appeared to be taking advantage of the huge mistake, which would have forced a punt, but instead moved down to the 25 with five minutes left to play to put the Cougars in striking distance.
However, Fisher was under pressure by the Bulldogs defense and was hit with an intentional grounding call and loss of down on the play, setting up second and 23 with under six minutes to play.
The Bolles defense held as Fisher was unable to find a receiver open on back-to-back plays to force fourth and 23 with 5:03 left to play, Fisher completed a pass to Jones for a short gain but well short of the first down to give the ball back to Bolles with 4:53 left in the game.
Netting perhaps surprised the Godby defense on first down hitting a wide open Sanders for a 31 yard completion to midfield to move the chains and eat up some clock. After a few short runs by McCloud, the Bulldogs faced third and and short and were stopped forcing another punt with less than three minutes to go.
For the second consecutive week, Sanders, Kirksey and Coffindaffer, three of the 15 seniors on the team, refused to have their season end and have come up huge keeping their season alive with back-to-back road wins at West Florida.
And now they get at least one more game to play together again as No. 6 Bolles (8-4) will travel to the winner of tonight’s game between No. 5 Wakulla (9-2) and No. 1 Trinity next week in the Elite 8 of the Class 5A state playoffs. If Trinity can win that would set up a fourth meeting between the two arch-rivals over the last two years and the second playoff meeting in the last two years.
