Hornets come up inches shy in region loss
CHELSEA -- New field turf and a full student section welcomed the Chelsea High School football team to Class 7A, Region 3 in its home opener Friday. The night was just shy of a happy ending when Emerson Russell was stopped inches shy of the goal line with 1:19 to play on a 2-point conversion attempt that would have given the Hornets their first 7A region victory in a 42-41 loss to Tuscaloosa County.
“It shows we can compete in 7A football. These guys fought their butts off for 48 minutes. The defense finally got us a stop, and we came down and scored and had to go for two. We came up short. I told them all week, we’ve got to learn to gain those inches. We gained a lot of inches tonight, but we didn’t gain the inches down there,” said Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity. “For this team to compete against that team, with their hearts … I’m proud of these guys. I’m proud of our coaches. I’m proud of this community, and our students. I feel bad I didn’t call the right play to get us in winning position.”
Trailing by two touchdowns, Chelsea quarterback Carter Dotson went to work in the fourth quarter, hitting MJ Conrad for an 18-yard touchdown on the opening play of the final frame. After Sawyer Deerman answered for Tuscaloosa County with a 23-yard touchdown run, Dotson marched the Hornets down field and hit Conrad again for a 20-yard TD over the middle to make it a one-score game, 42-35 with 5:40 to play.
Chelsea posted a big stand after a 57-yard run to the end zone by Wildcats back Kevin Riley was called back for holding. Jackson Laughlin sacked Tuscaloosa County quarterback Deerman to force a punt and set up what could have been the winning drive.
Jaxon Shuttlesworth hauled in a 29-yard catch over a Wildcats defender to put the Hornets in the red zone with less than two minutes to play, and Russell pushed his way into the end zone two plays later. Cassity called his number again on the two-point conversion run, but Russell was stopped just shy of the goal line.
Russell finished the night with 165 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
T-County opened the game with a near nine-minute drive to go 87 yards and score on a 2-yard quarterback keeper by Deerman. It was the first of five rushing touchdowns by the quarterback on the night with 121 rushing yards and 114 yards on 9-of-13 passing.
Chelsea answered, as Dotson connected with JyDarian McKinney for a 12-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter. After holding the Wildcats to a three-and-out, Russell marched the Hornets down field and skipped over defenders for a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to give Chelsea a 14-7 lead.
Riley, who led TCHS with 159 yards on 26 carries, powered Tuscaloosa County back down the field for an answer. Moments later, a tipped Chelsea pass was picked off at the line by Alveontae Smith to flip momentum. It led to another Deerman touchdown from the 1 to give the Wildcats a 21-14 edge at halftime.
The Wildcats intercepted another pass to open the second half, this time Mason Ray, setting up a 54-yard drive in seven minutes, capped by a 13-yard Deerman run to lead 28-14. Russell answered, rushing seven times for 61 yards to pull Chelsea back within a touchdown, 28-21, but Deerman found a seam on fourth-and-2 to rush 38 yards for a Wildcat touchdown to push in back in front by two touchdowns, 35-21.
Chelsea (0-3, 0-1 Region 3) will travel to Heardmont Park next Friday to face Oak Mountain. Tuscaloosa County improves to 3-0 for the first time since 2014.