PURVIS – Sumrall’s defensive line kept Purvis’ offense in check for the first half of Thursday night and helped the Bobcats jump out to a 28-6 lead.
However, with less than one minute left in the game, Purvis faced a third and 10 on Sumrall’s 30-yard line with a chance to tie the game. After Sumrall’s defensive line was kept on its heels for much of the second half, Sumrall defensive linemen Cole Daniels broke through Purvis’ offensive line and came away with a 12-yard sack. Purvis managed to get off one more play but failed to convert as Daniels’ sack helped seal the Bobcats’ 28-21 win.
“Our defense was doing what we were supposed to do, which is pursuing the ball,” Daniels said. “Getting our calls and then getting lined up so in that first half we took over. My coach moved me to a five (5-technique defensive end), and I knew I could beat them on the outside. I slapped him down and made a big play.
“(That’s) just me.”
While the game was not only a rivalry win, Sumrall has practically erased its 0-4 start to the season as the Bobcats are 2-0 in region play. As for Purvis, the game now drops the Tornados into an unexpected 0-2 start to the region after opening the season 4-0.
“We are excited for our kids,” Sumrall coach Shannon White said. “They fought hard, and Purvis fought hard. They made a great comeback, and we held on. I thought our defense stepped up. On offense, we struggled a little bit in the second half. I’m just really proud of all of our guys.”
Sumrall struck first on the Bobcat’s second offensive as quarterback John Ford connected with Brandon Harrison for a 14-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.
However, Purvis answered right back on the following drive as Kaleb Shelby broke out a 59-yard touchdown run on fourth and four. The Tornados failed to compete a two-point conversion, which was the start of Purvis’ aggressive play calling.
In the second quarter, Sumrall missed a 31-yard field goal but held Purvis to a three and out. Again, Purvis stayed aggressive and called a fake punt on their own 19-yard line.
“We knew we were going to have to be aggressive with those guys,” Purvis coach Brad Hankins said. “I went for it a couple of times, thinking that we could get it. I have got all the confidence in my guys that when I fake a punt or go for it on fourth down, that’s the mentality we are going to play with.”
Three plays later, Ford threw a 21-yard touchdown to Hayden Barrett to give Sumrall a 14-6 halftime lead. Ford finished the game 8-of-16 and passed for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
“The first touchdown was an under center play,” Ford said. “We knew we had them fooled with the run, so we faked it and threw the touchdown. The next one, I had an option to go to the post up the middle, but I got pressured and had to scramble, but I found an open guy.”
According to Ford, the difference in his team’s play has been an overall attitude change by his team.
“Everybody’s attitude has changed,” Ford said. “Everybody wants to win, and everybody is contributing.
“We had a good week of practice two weeks ago, and we came out and scored in the first play against Greene County (last week), and everything changed from there.”
Sumrall looked to put the game away in the third quarter as Garrison Musgrove broke out a 26-yard touchdown that set up a 1-yard touchdown by James Ford to extend the Bobcat lead to 21-6. On the ensuing kickoff, Purvis fumbled the ball, and Sumrall’s Cruz Freeman came up with a scoop score to push the lead 28-6.
“That was probably the difference in the ball game,” White said. “It’s just guys making plays. Cruz did a super job on that and scooped it. We worked on that, and it worked for us tonight. It’s kids fighting for yardage. It was huge.”
Despite trailing 28-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, Purvis quarterback Hunter Robinson began to orchestrate a potential comeback. After turning over on downs to start the quarter, Robinson’s arm helped the Tornados score on an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Robinson capped the drive off with a one-yard touchdown run.
“(Robinson) is a special player without a doubt,” Hankins said. “He is the leader of our football team, and we kind of rally around him. Him and Kade Sherrill are two of our leaders, and I thought they both played big. When you fall behind you have to turn it loose a little bit, and you got to take a few more chances.
“We just had to keep fighting, and that’s what they (my team) did. With three minutes left in the third quarter, our kids believed that we could come back and win.”
On the next drive, Robinson threw a 50-yard touchdown to Ethan Nored to narrow the lead 28-21. After starting 0-of-3 in the first half, Robinson finished 6-of-16 and passed for 146 yards and a touchdown.
Purvis then drove the ball 54 yards before coming up on short on its final drive. Purvis outgained Sumrall in the second half 242-90.
“We had a rhythm with our two minute (drill), but I ran out of timeouts,” Hankins said. “That was kind of one of those things where you run out of timeouts. It kind of handcuffs you a little bit. I felt like our rhythm was good, but we just fell a little short.
“We just have to go back and work. We have to keep fighting, and we still have a chance to get to the playoffs, and that’s our mindset.”
For White, he credits his team’s ability to not give up.
“A win changes everything,” White said. “When you win, practice becomes different. The excitement is different. Our fans are different. We have got great fans, and they were supportive tonight, but the excitement is different when you win a game, just one. We did last week, and it carried over, and our kids were ready to play.”
