Cambridge's first region contest kicked off on Friday, September 8th at Chattahoochee High School.
The game stayed close throughout, but a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns helped Chattahoochee sneak past the Bears 21-13.
The game started out with strong defense on both sides. The Bears seemed to have the first breakthrough when Tyler Wald intercepted a pass on Chattahoochee's 12-yard line, but Matt McCree fumbled just two plays later. Following an interception by Hogan Dykes, the Cougars struck first with an 11-yard pass to make the score 7-0 at halftime.
The Bears defense continued to dominate in the second half. They took scoring matters into their own hands when Matthew Briesemeister blocked a punt to allow a scoop-n-score by James Poinsette. This tied to the game at 7-7 with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter.
The Chattahoochee offense finally found a way past Cambridge in the fourth quarter. The Cougars put up two touchdowns on consecutive possessions to gain a 21-7 lead with 4:06 in the game. The Bears did not give up. Dykes orchestrated an impressive 75-yard touchdown drive. The drive capped off with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Ridge Polk. The Bears defense came up big yet again to give their offense a chance to tie, but a Bears turnover on the final drive sealed the game.
Senior defensive end Matthew Briesemeister was tremendous with 5 tackles to go along with the blocked punt. Senior linebacker Will Covington led the defense with 6.5 tackles.
Ridge Polk once again topped the offensive list with 6 catches for 90 yards and the Bears' lone offensive touchdown. Matt McCree posted his largest rushing total for the season, finishing with 98 yards on 26 carries.
The Bears will face Pope at home on Friday, September 15th. The game is extremely important not only for region standings, but also for the Bears' confidence.
The game will kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Go Bears!
article by Jack Sadighian