Maroon Tide’s Coomes’ interception late clinches 17-14 win over George Wythe
Pendleton Field, Wytheville, VA – In a classic Maroon on Maroon Tide battle the two Mountain Empire teams didn’t disappoint. Galax Head Coach Shane Allen knew it was going to be tough game. “What a great high school football game, came down to the last play. I told our guys, it’s going to be a war. They are a great football team. There are no bad football teams left (in the playoffs).”
At days end, it was Galax holding the Regional Final trophy, it took nearly all forty-eight minutes to decide the winner. WR/DB 5 Colton Coomes sealed the deal, intercepting George Wythe QB/LB 15 Tandom Smith’s deep, middle pass at the Maroon ten yard line with :25 left on the clock. Coomes caught a 15-yard TD pass in the back of the end zone with 11:54 left in the final quarter. That gave Galax the lead at 17-14. “I was really proud of our guys. (Told them to) play fast and make plays when you had the opportunity,” Allen remarked.
Following that, George Wythe advanced the ball down to the Galax twelve before being forced to tie it up with a 26-yard field goal. K 69 Thomas Mitchell’s boot careened off the cross bar back into the field of play. George Wythe set up the last drive after recovering a Galax fumble on a fourth and inches run at Wythe’s twenty-three yard line. The home team Maroons started the scoring on a QB 1 Tandom Smith (18/86,TD rush; 5/17,142,TD,2INTs) one-yard run with 2:05 left in the first quarter. Galax RB 9 Tedruhn Tucker (32/152,TD) tied it at 7-7 with 1:56 left in the half on a 9-yard TD run. With :30 left, Smith was picked of by Maroon Tide DB 6 Damian Heath down the the George Wythe fourteen. Three plays later Galax K 11 Yandel Vera booted a 32-yarder to put the visitors up 10-7 at the intermission. The second half was really 7-7 with Galax getting two stops late. Coach Allen credited his kids for staying the course, “We had a rough start to the season, but our kids kept fighting.” Galax will now travel to play Honaker next week. – Cap’n Crunch
Scoring:
First Quarter-
George Wythe: Tandom Smith 1-yard TD run: Thomas Mitchell PAT (2:05)
Second Quarter-
Galax: Tedruhn Tucker 8-yard TD run; Yandel Vera PAT (1:56)
Galax: Yandel Vera 32-yard FG ( :05)
Third Quarter-
George Wythe: Brayden Rainey 63-yard TD catch from Tandom Smith: Thomas Mitchell PAT (10:01)
Fourth Quarter-
Galax: Colton Coomes 15-yard TD catch from Tommy Jones; Yandel Vera PAT (11:54)
OFFENSE:
Rushing: Galax– Tedruhn Tucker 32/152,TD, Tommy Jones 2/(-13), Team 1/(-4) George Wythe – Tandom Smith 18/86,TD, Trey Rainey 11/54, Caleb Campbell 3/8, Brayden Rainey 1/1, Team 1/(-1)
Passing: Galax– Tommy Jones 4/18,109,TD,INT George Wythe – Tandom Smith 5/17,142,TD,2INTs
Receiving: Galax– Colton Coomes 4/43,TD, Damian Heath 1/80, Brady Lowe 1/0, Tedruhn Tucker 1/(-6) George Wythe – Brayden Rainey 2/53, Shane Huff 1/63,TD, Trey Rainey 2/17, Caleb Campbell 1/31
Returns: Galax– Ayden White 2/60 George Wythe – Holden Luttrell 1/9, J’Mere Rivens 1/13, Kaden Irby 1/8
Punting: Galax– Tommy Jones 3/28 yd avg George Wythe – Tandem Smith 3/38 yd avg
Kicking– Galax– Yandel Vera 32yd FG, 2/2 PATs George Wythe – Thomas Mitchell 26yd – no good, 2/2 PATs