DALTON, Ga. - As two of the five starters returning from last year's Georgia Class AAAAAA semifinal team, seniors J.P. Tighe and Nasir Love-Porter know their roles for the Dalton Catamounts.
Friday, in a furious rally from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to a 21-17 win over rival Northwest Whitfield, the two helped turn the game with their play and their leadership. Tighe scored all three Dalton touchdowns, including the game-winner with 2:31 to play, while Love-Porter had a pair of interceptions, including a game-changer in the final period.
Before that, though, each was doing what coach Matt Land expects of his leaders.
"I talked to them all week and during the game about how we just had to play to our potential," Love-Porter said. "We weren't happy with the way we played last week, but we know what we can do and we were determined to come out tonight and prove people wrong."
The Bruins (2-1) seemed ready to break a losing streak at Harmon Field that dates back to 1999 after star quarterback Luke Shiflett marched the team 72 yards late in the third period, capping it with a 10-yard run, to take a 17-7 lead.
The Dalton deficit was still 10 with 8:18 to play when the Cats (1-1) took over at their own 33. A Tighe-to-Ja'iden Montgomery 23-yard pass was followed four plays later by a Tighe 10-yard scramble and a Northwest personal foul - one of nine penalties for 122 yards for the Bruins - to move the ball to the 23.
Tighe then passed to Gavin Defoor for 16 yards and scored on a 7-yard scramble with 6:48 to play.
Two plays later Love-Porter stepped in front of a Shiflett pass at the Northwest 43, the big play the Cats needed.
"There is a point in a game and a point in a season where a player has to make a play. We had about four or five guys do that tonight, and two of those were J.P. and Nasir," Land said. "That interception was huge. We all know that once that old momentum train gets going it's hard to get on it and hard to get off it. Thank goodness our train was headed in the right direction and we came out on top."
Jahmyr Gibbs got the drive going with a 13-yard run on second down, then Tighe hit Defoor with a 6-yard pass on third-and-5 before connecting with Yendry Cruz for 11 to the 8. Gibbs moved it to the 1, from where Tighe bulled over for the go-ahead score.
Northwest wasn't finished just yet, however. Shiflett, under heavy pressure, scrambled three times for 21 yards to move the ball inside the Dalton 40. On third-and-10 he took off again, leaping into three defenders to cap a 14-yard gain to the 24. The drive reached the 13 but stalled, and on fourth down Shiflett's pass into the end zone was knocked away by Dalton's Gabe Hill.
"After last week and going four quarters without a point and going the first quarter tonight, I told the guys that we just needed to play like we can," Tighe said. "This is how we can play."
Added Land: "We needed this kind of win. We've not bloodied our nose and grinded, and this is one of those blue-collar wins. This team, with so many of those blue-collar-type players, we needed this type of game."
Shiflett was held to 11-of-21 passing for 101 yards and 52 yards rushing. Dominique Sistrunk, who scored on a 59-yard run to begin the game, finished with 101 yards on 16 carries. Gibbs led Dalton with 72 yards on 19 carries.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22