PULASKI, Tenn. — As the Giles County football players sang their alma mater and celebrated their 20-12 Class 4A playoff victory over Brainerd on Friday night, some Panthers fans looked on. Others listened to the message Brainerd coach Stanley Jackson was trying to stress to his players.
“I know it hurts, and I’m not saying it’s not supposed to hurt, but keep your head up,” Jackson said. “We’re going to leave out of here like men.”
On the road Friday night, the Panthers played just like that.
Brainerd (6-6) threw two interceptions and rushed for only 23 yards yet still had a chance to tie the game after a Trey Davenport kickoff return trimmed the lead to eight points in the fourth quarter. The Brainerd defense shut down Giles County, but a punt by Herbie Foster pinned Brainerd deep in its own territory with 2:21 to play.
Quarterback Sam Caffey, who threw for 181 yards, completed four passes to get the Panthers to the Bobcats’ 25, but Kenton Baker intercepted Caffey’s 20th attempt of the evening and the Bobcats kneeled twice to claim the victory.
They will travel to district rival Marshall County, which defeated Sequoyah 31-6 in another second-round matchup.
“Brainerd was a tough game plan for us — not because of their formations, but the players,” Giles coach David O’Connor said. “We were pressed in trying to figure out where they were going to put their playmakers.”
O’Connor’s troubles were lessened with an injury to District 6-AA most valuable player Maleek Rooks, who was slowed with a leg injury early in the second half and could be used only sparingly.
Giles rode the legs of running back Delvin Polk in the second half. The short, burly senior had 19 of his 23 carries and all but 11 of his 132 yards in the final 24 minutes. He broke off a 46-yard run to set up a score in the fourth quarter, adding a 78-yard run nullified by a holding call.
“We use our running backs by formation, and in the first half it looked as though they were giving us a five-man front,” O’Connor said. “Delvin was the guy that seemed to get the ball over and over in the formation we were in.”
Brainerd took a 6-0 lead on the game’s second play, with Caffey and Isaiah Milligan connecting on a 53-yard touchdown pass. Foster kicked the first of two field goals on Giles’ second possession, and the Bobcats received a break when a blown coverage with 12 seconds remaining in the half led to a 35-yard touchdown pass from Al Cobb to Ben Bates.
“We just had too many mistakes tonight, and they just capitalized on the mistakes we made,” Jackson said. “I’m not taking anything away from Giles, but we made enough [errors] to make it easy for them.”
Foster kicked his second field goal on the first possession of the third quarter, and Cobb scored on a 1-yard plunge with 7:42 remaining.
Brainerd dressed 26 players.
“Losing Rooks hurt us tonight, because we rely on him so much with his speed,” Jackson said. “With the numbers we have, you’ve only got so many bullets. When you’re without your bullets, eventually you have to throw your gun.
“I’m proud of our guys, though. I thought we overcame a lot this season and overachieved our expectations.”