The DeKalb County High School Tigers football team’s season skidded to a stop last Friday after they fell in the first round of the TSSAA Class 4A Football Play-Offs, on the road against East Hamilton in Chattanooga. It was the fourth straight loss for the team that seemed as if luck was against them.

Even before the game began, it was as if the fates had aligned against the Tigers. A shoulder injury to backup quarterback Jordan Parker meant the passing game was pretty much off the table, and offensive lineman Ean Jones was sidelined due to a knee injury. The game would almost exclusively rely on the legs of star running back Colby Barnes.

DeKalb would win the toss and defer until the second half. The Hurricanes would return to their own 38, and would move down to the Tiger 37 before their first drive stalled and they would punt.

Things looked bright for the Tigers on their first drive. Even though the punt backed them up at their own three yard line, runs by Barnes would chip away yards. In seven carries, Barnes had the Tigers down to the Canes’ 38. There, a false start backed them up five, but another Barnes run gained the yards back. The next play, a wildcat snap to Malachi Trapp, had the Tigers in the end zone. Juan Ortega’s PAT was good, and with 3:45 left in the first, DeKalb was up 7-0.

The Hurricanes would return to their own 37 on the kick, and penalties would immediately doom the drive. A Juan Bullard keeper resulted in a chop block call, backing them up to the 22. Taking to the air, they would only reach the 33 before again having to punt.

It was on the Tigers’ next possession that things began to turn. Starting at their own 27, a Barnes run was stuffed at the line, but a Parker keep was good to the 46. There, another Barnes carry was to the Canes’ 48 then to the 39. A keeper took the ball to the 36, then Barnes went up the middle for a one-yard gain. Then, a problem that has plagued the Tigers all season arose. A fumbled snap over Parker’s head was snatched up by East Hamilton’s Zachariah Laboo and run back for the touchdown. With the extra point, the game was tied 7-7 with 10:57 left in the half.

The Hurricanes next attempted a squib kick, but a false start backed them up five. The kick was then into the end zone for a touchback. Once again, the Tigers administered a big dose of Colby Barnes.

Starting at their own 20, Barnes carried four times to the Canes’ 43. There, a Parker keep was good to the 37, where Barnes carried three more times to the 24. A Malachi Trapp run was good to the 15, then Barnes lost two yards on a carry. On a third and three, DeKalb was called for a chop block, backing them up to the 34. A run by Ari White reached the 29, then another bad snap on a fourth down play resulted in a turnover on downs at the 34.

A Canes’ keep was good to the 44, then a Juan Bullard pass connected to Kirreeese Willis who was in for six. With 3:25 left in the half, East Hamilton took the 14-7 lead.

The Tigers still had time to put points on the board, but once again bad snaps would doom the drive. Starting at their own 20, a bad snap ended with Barnes tackled for a one-yard loss. Barnes would rebound though, taking the ball to the 30 on the next play. He was to the 37, then the 38, then a Parker keep was down at the Canes’ 48. Barnes lost two yards, then bad snaps on the next two plays would kill the drive as the half ended.

In the second half, neither team would get things going until late in the third. After a Canes’ punt, DeKalb started at their own 43. Once again it was all Barnes. He went up the middle to the 48, then again to the Hurricane 37. Barnes would gain three more on the next carry, then would be down to the four, then three. He was handed the ball one more time, this time in for the touchdown. With the PAT, the Tigers had tied the game 14-14 with 11:53 left in the fourth quarter.

DeKalb’s joy wouldn’t last long. After the kick went out of bounds, the Hurricanes started at their own 35. There, Juan Bullard kept the ball to the 31, then a pass had them down to the 27. The next play, after a high snap, Bullard kept the ball again and was in for six. With the extra point, East Hamilton had retaken the lead 21-14 with 10:31 left to play.

DeKalb looked as if they would mount yet another scoring drive on their next possession. After another touchback, they would start at their own 20. Again, Barnes would be the workhorse. Three carries gave them a first down at the 32, then two more were good to the 42. A keeper was stopped for no gain, then Barnes was down at the 46, then the Canes’ 39. It was Barnes again, to the 26, then to the 24. He then made it to the 11, then was stopped for no gain.

On first down, Barnes was stuffed at the line, then was downed at the nine. On third down Barnes was again held for no gain, and with 2:52 left in the game the Tigers decided to go for it on fourth down. Parker lateralled to Malachi Trapp who then passed to Barnes. He was stopped at the 12, giving the Canes’ the ball.

The Tigers’ defense stiffened as the clock was winding down. East Hamilton would make it to their own 25, before being forced to punt on fourth down. DeKalb would get the ball on their own 43 with 1:13 left to play.

In desperation mode, the Tigers couldn’t get things going. A Barnes carry gained only two, then Parker was sacked twice, backing them up to the 38. An illegal substitution on the Canes gave DeKalb five yards, but then a pass to Austin Nicholson fell incomplete, then a pass to Josh May was no good. A final desperation pass to Malachi Trapp as the clock ticked down ended in an interception and the Hurricanes claimed the 21-14 victory.

Barnes had 55 carries for 327 yards in the game, giving him 2,073 rushing yards on the year on 287 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Barnes had one touchdown in the game, and 19 for the year. 

QB Jordan Parker had seven keeps in the game for 57 yards, while Malachi Trapp had one carry for 37 yards and a touchdown. Ari White had two carries for six yards, and Jon Hendrix had two rushes for -13 yards.

The receiving game was almost non-existent. Malachi Trapp had one catch for nine yards and Holden Trapp had one for three yards.

The Tigers end the season with a record of 6-5, with four losses coming at the end of the schedule.

The Hurricanes (8-3) advance next Friday, November 11, to host Upperman (9-2). The Bees defeated Chattanooga Central last Friday, 34-7.