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Chelsea's Michael Gibbs (6) runs after a catch during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Holton Smith (17) avoids a Minor tackle during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) dives for a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Grant Lamb (52) goes after a fumble during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Michael Gibbs a(6) after recovering a fumble during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Cole Berryman (32) makes a tackle during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Caleb Moore (10) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Caleb Moore (10) rolls out to pass during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Caleb Moore (10) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Cameron Hinson (31) directs blockers after making a catch during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Cameron Hinson (31) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Caleb Moore (10) throws a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea head coach Dustin Goodwin during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Caleb Moore (10) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) catches a pass for a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Luke Haywood (54) goes after a Minor fumble during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Michael Gibbs (6) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Chandler Pruitt (29) makes a tackle for loss during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Chandler Pruitt (29) mmakes a tackle during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) catches a pass for a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea'students during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Christian Ferguson (3) fights off Ramsay DL Timothy Keenan (55) during a game between Ramsay and Briarwood on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Lions Pride Stadium in Birmingham.
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Chelsea cheerleaders during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Collier Blair (1) dives for a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's Jordan Smith (7) during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
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Chelsea's band during a game between Chelsea and Minor on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Minor High School in Adamsville.
ADAMSVILLE — What was looking to be a major win for the Chelsea High School football team quickly turned into a Minor victory.
Trailing 31-14 early in the third quarter, Chelsea scored on three of its next four possessions to take a 35-31 lead with six minutes left in the game. Minor, however, did not allow for its homecoming to be spoiled, scoring on a 29-yard pass from Alex Glass to Jamari Jemison with 3:12 to play to come out on top, 37-35, in a key Class 6A, Region 5 game at Tony Lunceford Field.
“We have tremendous fight in us,” said Chelsea head coach Dustin Goodwin. “They love one another. Our locker room is a pretty close-knit group. Obviously, our coaching staff loves our kids. They fight for one another and that’s all we ask them to do, and that’s what they do, so we’re very fortunate to have that going for us. We’ve just got to find a way to win these one- and two-point ballgames.”
Chelsea nearly did. After falling behind 31-14, the Hornets (3-5, 3-3 in region) ran a flea-flicker in which Caleb Moore hit Michael Gibbs for a 63-yard touchdown. Two drives later, Collier Blair rushed 17 yards to the house to cut the deficit to 31-28. On Chelsea’s ensuing drive, facing a fourth-and-9 at the Tigers 41-yard line, Moore rolled right and flung the ball back left to Blair, who scampered 41 yards for the score.
Minor (4-4, 4-1) answered with an eight-play, 62-yard drive capped by Glass’ TD to Jemison. Chelsea’s attempt to retake the lead failed, as the Hornets only gained three yards across five plays.
“This is a tough place to play,” Goodwin said. “They’ve got a good thing going. They’re doing a great job and that’s a credit to their staff. We knew we were going to be in a dog fight coming in based on the guys they had on the other side.”
Chelsea struck first after Minor muffed a punt that was recovered by Gibbs. Three plays later, Adam Reaves rushed four yards up the middle for the touchdown. Minor scored on a 75-yard throw from Glass to Jemison to cut the deficit to 7-6, and then took the lead 12-7 on a 2-yard run by David Gardner. Early in the second quarter, the Tigers struck again when Glass hit Jason Gaddis for a 36-yard score. Minor went up 24-7 when Gardner scored from a yard out.
Chelsea responded late in the first half when Moore connected with Blair for a 12-yard score. Jemison rushed for a 22-yard touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter to put Minor up 31-14.
For Minor, Glass finished 13-of-22 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. JaVonte Vance was the reliable source of offense for the Tigers, rushing 21 times for 147 yards. Gardner added 106 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Jemison caught three passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for another. Gaddis caught four passes for 57 yards and a TD, while Tyler Woodard grabbed four for 62 yards. Minor amassed 534 total yards, 260 through the air and 274 on the ground.
“We knew coming into it we were going to be outsized up front,” Goodwin said. “Our kids have a lot of heart. We can add bodies to the box, but at the same time physics takes over at some point. They’re big, physical guys with a big, physical running back that’s as big as any of our defensive linemen. That, paired with the ability to throw the ball and the big-play potential, they do a good job and deserved the victory tonight.”
For Chelsea, Moore was 8-of-14 for 182 yards and three scores. Blair rushed 19 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 49 yards and two TDs. Gibbs grabbed two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Chelsea totaled 267 yards.
Chelsea steps out of region play next week to host Calera in the Hornets’ final home game of the regular season.
“At the end of the day we weren’t able to make the plays we needed to,” Goodwin said. “We’ve got to go back to the drawing board and get ready to play next week.”
