Rhea County High School vs. Ooltewah High School

Ooltewah, TN (WDEF) – Ooltewah managed to shut-out Rhea County’s high scoring offense during the regular season, but could the Owls deliver an encore performance Friday night as the two area schools hooked up in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.

This one was tense from the very first snap, and Rhea had trouble holding on to the ball from the very first snap in the first quarter.

Cody Bice puts the ball on the ground.

Rashun Freeman who takes it all the way to the end zone for the Owls first score of the night putting them on top 7 nothing.

The Golden Eagles would respond on their next drive with a touchdown run from the hammer Mason Stephenson to knot the game a 7 all.

Another bobbled hand off from Rhea, but Dylan Smith gets control off it and is in the open field, but runs out of gas and is finally brought down by Freeman, but the Golden Eagles are in scoring ranges.

A few plays later Daniel Dotson using a quarterback sneak to squeeze in through the pile for the touchdown to put Rhea on top 14-7.

The Owls offense struggling.

They got in range for a field goal from Alex Toser, but it’s a knuckle ball and it’s short.

Can’t leave points on the field like that during the play offs.

Rhea back to work and their fumbling whoa continue.

They lost 5 fumbles; one for every finger.

Fourth down in the 4th quarter, Owls in crunch time and London Elrod hooks up with Freeman in the corner of the end zone.

The Owls extra point gets blocked, leaving Rhea with a 14 to 13 lead and that Golden Eagle wing T ran out the clock on the Owls.

It’s tough to win a game when you lose 5 fumbles, but they found a way to do it.