Ramblers win lively rivalry game

photo LaFayette quarterback Evan Head (7) eludes the Trojan defense for a big gain.

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. - This Walker County rivalry had all the elements of what makes it great: good football, a little excitement and some extra-curricular activities.

LaFayette defeated Gordon Lee 43-22 on Friday night at Billy Neil Ellis Stadium.

"We grew up playing a lot of ball together," said LaFayette senior Kolbe Mosley, who caught two touchdown passes. "I knew it would be a physical game."

His Ramblers and the Trojans combined to accept more than 300 yards of penalties -- many of the unsportsmanlike and personal-foul variety -- and four players were ejected.

"We have to clean up that stuff," LaFayette coach Chad Fisher said.

LaFayette quarterback Evan Head completed 12 of 16 passes, tossed three for touchdowns and rushed for another.

"Evan worked his butt off," Fisher said. "I challenged him this week, and he responded."

It may have been accidental on purpose.

The Trojans recovered the opening kickoff, which resembled an onside kick with Braden Jarvis covering the ball.

Five snaps later, Hunter Teeters scooted up the middle for a 24-yard touchdown.

The Trojans marched on a 15-play drive that chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock. Teeters made sure the effort was worth it. He took a toss and scampered around the left side, eluded two would-be tacklers and dove over the pylon for a 22-yard touchdown.

The Gordon Lee defense limited LaFayette to 99 yards in the first half. But one blemish stood out. Mosley took a screen pass in the left flat, cut across the middle and made three defenders miss on his way to a 62-yard touchdown reception in the final minute before halftime.

LaFayette tied the game early in the third quarter on a 38-yard pump-and-go pass from Head to Ethan Tripp.

"Coach told us that we'd win in the second half," Mosley said.

Four yellow flags littered Bobby Chappell Field after Gordon Lee running back Andrew Towns rushed for 9 yards. Shoving ensued and Gordon Lee senior Dalton Owens chucked his helmet after being ejected from the game. The Trojans had three players ejected and the Ramblers lost one player in the scuffle.

Head gave the Ramblers their first lead later in the third on a tough 4-yard rushing touchdown. Mosley converted on a run that gave LaFayette a 22-14 lead. Patrick Simmons padded that margin with a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Gordon Lee rallied with a 45-yard scoring drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Braden Jarvis. The conversion pulled the Trojans to within 28-22.

Extra activity continued well into the fourth quarter. The Ramblers scored on back-to-back snaps but had both negated by offsetting personal-foul pentalties. The referee then gathered two team captains and gave them a talk. Then each team huddled around its coach for a minute to get a lecture with nine minutes to play.

Mosley scored his second touchdown from 23 yards out, and Head capped the scoring with a shifty 20-yard touchdown run.

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepres.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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