In the fourth quarter, the Bears would not score, but neither would the Rattlers, especially after a spectacular defensive series that turned a first and ten at the Bears’ 20 into a fourth and 30 at their 45. The Bears would end the game with a clock-draining drive and win 20-14.
Tim Landes was a big part of the decisive third quarter for the Bears as he caught the touchdown pass from Jaxon Smith that put the Bears in the lead, caught the two-point conversion from Mason Moore afterward and then, playing safety, intercepted a third-and-12 pass thrown by Murfreesboro’s quarterback to end the possession.
The Bears on the ensuing drive, which opened the fourth quarter, would only get to their own 44 before punting, but a good return and a late hit penalty mathematically negated the punt, giving the Rattlers the ball on the Spring Hill 44. They would get as close on their drive as the Spring Hill ten.
But from this point on, the Bears appeared to benefit from a Halloween hex as well as tough, sound defensive line play. The first-and-ten play from the ten was flagged for a block in the back by Murfreesboro, sending them back to the 20. The next play was a complete pass for five yards. But the second-and-fifteen play was a disaster in which the Rattlers QB, after two seconds looking for a receiver, saw a massive Spring Hill lineman coming right at him and knelt down to take the tag for the sure sack instead of the tackle.
Third and 25 was stopped for 12 men on the field for the Rattlers. Third and 30 was another Spring Hill sack. The Rattlers opted to put from the Spring Hill 45.
From there, the Bears, proceeding from their own 20 with 4:04 left, would give the Rattlers enough doses of Henry Townsend, Levi Askew and Mason Moore runs to drain the clock down and force Murfreesboro to use up their timeouts. The last drive featured three first downs, which were enough for the Bears to end it.
After the game, Coach Smith was jubilant in addressing his team but said the penalties were a matter of emotional control that needed cleaning up in the next outings, which will be on the road unless the Bears get a home playoff game.
Smith said of the Halloween hex sequence, or what may perhaps oxymoronically be called a defensive possession: “It was real special for the defense to step in there and get it. People have been doubting the defense and we're beat up a little bit right now. The defense went out and they played with pure heart, flying around, making big plays. We got pressure on that quarterback, and we had the wrong guy back there, and the quarterback just didn't want none of it, just laid down. That was a factor, that gets our kids smelling that right there, and that was a good thing for us to see that, and our kids just kind of got control of the game on that defensive possession.”
The win back home snaps a two-game losing streak but, more important, sets Spring Hill up for third place, which earns a playoff spot) in the 2A Region 3, behind the 8-1 (6-0) Junction City Dragons and the second place Gurdon Go Devils (5-4, 4-2) which enjoys a tie-breaker over the Bears by virtue of their home win against them last Friday. The Bears will go to Junction City Thursday November 6th to take on a Dragons team that has only lost to 3A Region 7 Smackover this year.
Above and subsequent photos: Children attending the game were provided an opportunity at halftime to go Trick or Treating at a line of tables set up by local companies and individuals at the Spring Hill baseball field.
