Chattanooga Christian rallies past Brainerd, 24-21

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Scores and Photos of Friday Night High School Football - Aug. 21

It was a combination of Panthers mistakes and Chargers resilience that led to Chattanooga Christian's 24-21 come-from-behind victory over Brainerd in the first game of the season for both teams.

In his first game as a starter, Chattanooga Christian quarterback Matthew Mercer performed like a seasoned veteran, finishing with 194 yards passing and three touchdowns. It was his final TD, however, that he would save for his best.

With his team trailing 21-16 with less than a minute left to play, Mercer and the Chargers marched their way down the field and clinched their first victory of the season with a 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Will Patton. Mercer's 7-yard scamper for the two-point-conversion was the exclamation point on what was somewhat of a coming-out party for the senior gunslinger.

"Well, obviously, you saw a team that wouldn't give up," CCS coach Rob Spence said.

"They're down with less that a minute to go and moved the ball very steadily down the field and made some explosive plays. That's a sign of their determination and their attitude and their approach to what they're doing. They're just a bunch of kids that will never give up."

The Mercer connection to Patton was one in the making for the Chargers, as the CCS receiver was the target of several incompletions earlier in the contest.

"I was just wanting another chance," Patton said. "I had dropped a few and I just wanted to get another ball thrown my way. And when he threw that, I was really just focusing on getting my feet in bounds."

The teams traded blows in the opening quarter but entered the second scoreless. Mercer put the first points on the board with a 18-yard pass to Kade Oglesby with 10:44 left in the first half.

Brainerd answered, however, behind its own senior quarterback, Malik Beavers. Beavers entered the game and took over the offense after Tevin Walker struggled in the early going, throwing two interceptions.

A 60-yard Beavers run, aided by a punishing block from Tevin Walker, set up a 10-yard TD pass to Jamal Herman Jr. just two plays later.

Panthers mistakes kept the Chargers in the game, however. Brainerd committed 17 penalties in the game for 100 yards, while CCS finished with only seven for 35 yards. In addition to their penalties and interceptions, the Panthers also had five fumbles, two of which were recovered by the Chargers.

"We've got to be more disciplined," Brainerd coach Brian Gwinn said after the game, visibly upset about the outcome.

In the final moments the Chargers were able to withstand a late surge from the Panthers. They will Lookout Valley next week, while Brainerd will look to bounce back at home against East Ridge.

Contact Taylor Ellis at sports@timesfreepress.com

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