The final Tallassee pass attempt was just overthrown into the corner of the end zone as the ball hit the grass, the Reeltown sideline erupted. The incomplete pass was the final step to Reeltown’s comeback as the Rebels completed their 27-21 overtime victory at Tallassee on Thursday in the rivals' first meeting since 2003.
“That was awesome,” Reeltown coach Matt Johnson said. “Just to get away from everything everybody has been going through the past few months. I guarantee in the last part of that football game, there wasn’t many people thinking about what we’ve had to go through. That’s why this game is so important. It’s more than football.”
The Rebels (1-0) got the ball first in their overtime period and the first play went in the wrong direction, setting up a difficult task to get on the scoreboard first. However, Reeltown turned to Johnny Brown, who was on the bench for most the second half dealing with leg cramps, and he took the handoff around the left end before gliding into the corner of the end zone with ease for an 11-yard touchdown to put the Rebels in front.
“That’s Johnny but that’s all of them,” Johnson said. “Our motto since I have been here is improvise, adapt and overcome. That’s just what he does. He’s a quiet leader and that’s just who he is. I had no doubt that he was going to come back.”
After stopping the point after, Tallassee (0-1) had a chance to win with a touchdown and an extra point but a holding penalty on first down set the Tigers back and they never recovered. Tallassee quarterback Tyler Ellis attempted two fade passes to Duke Washington on the final plays but both fell incomplete, including a pass break up by Reeltown’s Marqevius Smith.
“It was a big game but you never like coming out on the losing end,” Tallassee coach Mike Battles said. “These guys are upset. It’s never fun losing.”
The Tigers led for most of the game, taking a one-point lead into halftime before seeing that gap extended to 21-13 after a 48-yard touchdown run by Marciano Smith with 6:17 to go in the third quarter.
Reeltown’s offense did not have an immediate answer but the defense did not let the lead grow any further. Tallassee’s next two drives had two first downs each but the Tigers could not finish either drive with points.
“Defensively, we had to make some adjustments on them,” Johnson said. “They had some numbers on us in a couple of formations. We just had to get to halftime to make those changes.”
The Rebels held off the Tigers just long enough for the offense to make something happen and they went back to a familiar face.
Marcus Haynes already had one touchdown under his belt for the night, scoring on Reeltown’s first drive, but his second scoring play was the most important of the night for the Rebels. Facing a third down in its own territory, Reeltown let first-year quarterback Gabe Bryant throw a deep post to Haynes who hauled in the pass and ran the rest of the way for a 71-yard touchdown.
“We just executed and had to keep playing hard,” Haynes said. “We never gave up. I felt like I was going to score. No one was going to catch me. I just saw green grass and I had to keep running. It felt great.”
Bryant finished with 163 yards and two touchdowns through the air with most of that coming from his partnership with Haynes. The junior receiver finished with 133 yards and two touchdowns on three receptions.
“Marcus has a chance to be elite,” Johnson said. “He has a big body, runs great routes and has good hands… That’s a tough ball to throw and a great route by Marcus.”
Scooter Brooks added the necessary two-point conversion to tie the game at 21-21, eventually sending it to overtime. Brooks finished as Reeltown’s leading rusher, going for 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Tallassee did most of its work on the ground, rushing for 251 yards as a team. Smith finished with 89 yards on 11 carries while Carr led the way with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 10 attempts.
“To have the opportunity to just play the game, it was great,” Johnson said. “That was just a great game.”
After months of excitement and anxiety surrounding this rivalry, both teams will have to quickly regroup before facing a new opponent next Friday.
“You have to enjoy it but when you wake up in the morning, we’re not talking about Tallassee anymore,” Johnson said. “They can get some rest tonight and hopefully they can come in tomorrow pumped up.”