Read more
Score and Photos of Friday night high school football - Oct. 16
SUMMERVILLE, Ga. - There is a simplicity to Chattooga's offense that is both beautiful to watch and maddening to try to stop.
Going into a game, every opposing coach knows the Foster brothers, Isaac and Isaiah, will touch the ball at least 90 percent of the time the Indians have it.
Gordon Lee coach Greg Ellis knew that Friday night, but his Trojans, despite intermittent success, failed to contain the twins in the end. They combined for 288 of Chattooga's 295 yards in a 26-21 thriller, including 50 yards on the game-winning drive that was capped by quarterback Isaac's 9-yard keeper with 1:35 remaining.
With the victory, Chattooga (6-1, 3-0 Region 7-AA) secured its first winning season since 2009 and remains in the hunt for a region title.
"They're winners, and they're extremely physical runners," Chattooga coach Charles Hammon said of his junior stars. "They're not elusive guys who make spectacular cuts, but they fit our style perfectly. They run downhill and they finish runs. They took shot after shot tonight and kept going, and that's just the way they play."
That was never more evident than the first drive of the second half. Holding a 12-7 lead, tailback Isaiah, who was held to 20 yards in the first half, carried 13 times on a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes off the game clock. His longest run on the drive was 13 yards, and he capped it with a 2-yard dive.
"We just wanted to come out and make a statement," Isaiah said of the drive. "We just needed a big half and a few big plays. Coach has been telling us all week that this would be a heavyweight boxing match, and it was."
Gordon Lee (4-4, 2-2) hit back with a pair of touchdown drives led by senior quarterback Caleb O'Neal. The first, coming right after the long Chattooga drive, spanned 64 yards and featured O'Neal's 41-yard run.
The Trojans finally got the big defensive play they needed when Drew Cobb intercepted Isaac Foster's pass at the Chattooga 41. O'Neal, who kept the drive alive with his second effort on a 1-yard keeper on fourth-and-1, later scored from 6 yards out to tie the game. Jarrett Lasseter's kick gave Gordon Lee its first lead at 21-20 with 7:43 to play.
A short kickoff and good return by Isaac Foster set up the Indians at their 44. The quarterback then ripped off 13 yards, but the game was on the line three plays later with Chattooga facing fourth-and-2 from the Gordon Lee 35.
True to form, the Indians went with power, letting Isaiah Foster churn over left tackle for 10 hard yards. Five plays later, Isaac Foster kept around right end on third down and scored from 9 yards out with 1:26 to play.
The ensuing Gordon Lee drive lasted just one play, with Nick Hawkins picking off a tipped O'Neal pass to seal the win.
"This is a big win for us," Hammon said. "We just clinched our first winning season in a long time and we can still play for a region championship. Every week will be tough from here out, but these guys are ready for it."
Isaiah Foster led the Indians with 156 yards on 28 carries, with Isaac Foster adding 132 on 26 carries.
O'Neal, after being held to 25 yards over the first two quarters, finished with 103 rushing for Gordon Lee.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him at Twitter.com/youngsports22.