Woodland's Riley Murphy helps bring down a Bowdon ball carrier./Phillip Heard

Bobcat offense sputters against Bowdon in loss

By Matt Shelley

The Woodland Bobcats couldn't seem to get the chains moving in a 19-6 loss to Bowdon, Ga. Friday night in Woodland.

The Bowdon Red Devils were able to move the ball almost at will, tallying 421 yards of total offense against the Bobcats.

Woodland looked to be on top of its game early in the first quarter when Drew Triplett scooped up a Bowdon fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown on the Red Devils' first offensive series.

But that was as close as the Bobcats would get to sniffing the win.

"We felt like our effort was lacking somewhat," Woodland head coach Larry Strain said. "We started the game with a lot of enthusiasm but we lost it."

The wind was taken out of Woodland's sails on its first offensive series when Triplett rolled out for a big gain but suffered a knee injury on the tackle.

"Triplett went down on that first play and it changed the demeanor of our offense," Strain said.

Triplett strained his MCL and will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Woodland's offense sputtered through the rest of the game, gaining only 60 yards of total offense all night.

Stephen Strain stepped in as quarterback for the Bobcats after Triplett's injury and struggled to lead the offense against Bowdon's sturdy defense.

"Stephen's got some snaps under his belt, but the youth and inexperience affected us," Strain said. "We just have to get him ready to go Friday night."

Another factor in Woodland's lackluster offensive performance was the changes Bowdon made defensively.

"They changed a little from what we had planned for," Strain said.

Bowdon's offense was also able to control the pace of the game with its brutal rushing attack. The Red Devils rushed for 336 yards on 51 attempts.

"They kept the football all night long and it just goes back to the injury," Strain said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage on us and we couldn't move the football."

Bowdon's J.J. Beasley put the Red Devils on the board in the first quarter with a one-yard touchdown run with 5:00 remaining.

Bowdon's Terrell Thornton caught an 80-yard touchdown pass with 11:02 left in the second quarter to go up 13-6.

The Red Devil's final score came on an 8-yard touchdown run courtesy of Avery Cheeks with 1:55 left in the third quarter.

Strain said not only did the offense struggle against Bowdon, but the defense needed work as well.

"We feel like the defense played terrible also," Strain said. "You're not going to win a ball game when they control the clock and the ball."

Strain said there were a couple of notable defensive performances though, from inside linebacker Dustin Collier and Strain, who also played defensive back in addition to his new role as quarterback.

"There was a lot of pressure placed on that young man in a hurry," Larry Strain said.

With Lanett coming to town this Friday, Strain said the offense has to improve a lot this week to compete with one of the best teams in 2A.

"They're big and they're fast and that's not too good if you've got to play them," Strain said. "We've got our hands full, to be honest with you."

Strain said the number one thing the Bobcats must do to beat Lanett is run the football.

"We've got to establish the run and be able to move the football to keep the defense off the field," Strain said. "We've got to get better ourselves. We work on blocking and tackling. We've got to get more physical."