Last Friday night, Red Boiling Springs defeated Pickett County in what i like to call a barn-burner. Red Boiling Springs scored the winning touchdown with mere second left in the ball game. With that win the Bulldogs improve to 2-0, enjoying the best record they have had in quite some time. The Bobcats of Pickett Co. received the ball first, and after a quick three and out, the Bulldogs were able to take over and start their opening drive. Red Boiling was unable to get anything going either, and elected to punt, A Bobcat fumble gave the Bulldogs possession setting RBS up for another drive. This time the Bulldogs were able to move the ball more effective, picking up nice chunks of yardage from the ground and through the air. Ben Halsell broke loose for a 13 yard touchdown run and after a successful two point conversion, RBS jumped on the board first with an 8-0 lead. Pickett County was able to answer back, as they scored within the final minute of the first quarter, making the score 8-8.

In the second quarter, the RBS Bulldogs were faced with a 4th and 20, electing to punt, but a fumbled ball worked out in their favor as Brandon Kelley was able to pick up a huge 56-yard gain, and Cody Dickens was able to punch in a score, another successful two point conversion gave them back an 8-point lead, 16-8 with 9:15 left in the second quarter. Pickett County was unable to move the ball and was faced with a 4th and short on the 42- yard line. They were able to pick up the first down and them some when they broke away with a 63-yard run for a touchdown, tying the score at 16-16 and neither team was able to pick up any more points in the half.

Going into the third quarter, RBS was able to surprise the Bobcats with an onside kick, recovered for RBS by Jotham Jones. Unfortunalty they were not able to capitalize off this opportunity and Pickett was able to take over after a Bulldog fumble on the 21-yard line. Throughout the rest of the third quarter, both teams went back and forth moving the ball, yet not able to score any points. These teams went toe to toe, both defenses denying the other of much yardage. In the fourth quarter, on a forth and four the Bobcats were able to find the end zone and take their first lead of the game with the score 22-16 with eleven minutes to play in the final quarter. The Bulldogs were able to move the ball some, with the help of Dickens and Halsell, but were forced to punt with 6:17 left to play in the game. The Bobcats then were able to melt the clock, leaving the Bulldogs only one minute in the game. RBS took over on the 33-yard line with 56 seconds to go. Dickens completed a 9- yard pass to Nathan Gann, 51 seconds to go. On third down, Shelton Watson caught a huge pass, all the way down to the 34-yard line. After a completed pass to Gann, and a spiked ball. RBS was faced with a 4th and 1 with only seconds left in the game. Dickens stepped back and delivered a pass to Watson for a game-tying touchdown with only 1.6 seconds left in regulation. The extra point sailed through the uprights and RBS won the game 23-22 in this hard fought battle last Friday night.