CHAPEL HILL TURNS THE LIGHTS OUT ON GILMER, LITERALLY | Bulldogs hold on to win after fiasco with lights in final minute

By PHILLIP WILLIAMS

CHAPEL HILL – The Geezer Generation can recall when one “Dandy” Don Meredith merrily would croon Turn Out the Lights on “Monday Night Football” – a ditty he reserved warbling until the game’s impending outcome was as obvious as the fact that fire trucks and women’s fingernails are often red.

Somewhere in the Great Beyond, perhaps ole’ Don was reprising his musical number in the dying seconds of the Chapel Hill Bulldogs’ bizarre and breathtaking 33-29 gashing of the defending Class 4A Division II state champion Gilmer Buckeyes on Friday night.

The humdinger happening, in which the lead changed hands several times, came to a consternating conclusion when, with but six seconds remaining and Gilmer threatening to pull off an 11th-hour triumph, the Bulldog Stadium field lights suddenly went out in the middle of a Buckeye pass play.

Even in the darkness, some Gilmer receiver managed to nab the throw from QB Brady McCown for a 21-yard gain to the Bulldog 7-yard-line. And within several seconds, the lights re-lit.

There was a slight problem, however.

The game officials were evidently in the dark on how to rule on a play in which the lights went out in the middle of it. Eventually, after a several-minute delay in which some game officials left the field to clarify things, the play was ruled to count, only to then have CH procure the victory on a game-ending interception.

After the contest, a radio report from onetime area radio personality Mike Ross, a Gilmerite whose son is a Chapel Hill band director, blamed a “timer” for shutting down the overhead field lights when the game ran long. (The lighting came back on within a short period, and not every single light in the stadium went out).

After an evident discussion of how to rule on the peculiar play, a game official sprinted down the field and exited a stadium gate. Speculation in the press box was that he was going to call the El Presidente of his officials’ chapter for – ahem – enlightennment, and Ross later reported the officials contacted the University Interscholastic League.

As the crowd awaited the refs’ return for several minutes, with the contest now having stretched more than three hours, two officials returned onto the field and revealed that the moonlight play would count, leaving Gilmer few yards, but few seconds, to yank the bunny from the fedora.

The Gilmer constituency’s elation at the higher power’s reported ruling would be short-circuited, however, after a Chapel Hill time out.

For on the game’s final play, McCown threw a completion to the left–but, ironically, ’twas to his counterpart, opposing QB Demetrius Brisbon, who happened to be playing defense around the goal line. Brisbon jubilantly romped several yards upfield before throwing down the ball.

And thus, the lights were turned off on the Buckeyes again–figuratively this time – as that ended the humdinger game, which featured the lead changing hands seven times and a deadly duet by Brisbon and receiver Travor Brooks. That duo collaborated for three of Brisbon’s four TD tosses.

The TD trio included the knockout haymaker, a fourth-down 26-yarder with 9:08 left in the game that, with Emmanuel Valencia’s banged PAT, concluded the evening’s scoring.

Gilmer, ranked ninth in the state in 4A Division II despite its season-opening upset pratfall to Pine Tree a week earlier, thus was bitten by a Bulldogs batallion which is now 2-0, and which was skunked in its own state championship game last year by Anna after beating Gilmer in that season’s opener.

Entering Friday, CH was ranked third in Class 4A Division I.

Despite the less than sanguine start to this 2024 season, though, Gilmer fans can regain their equilibrium by recalling that last year’s state titlelist team also lost its first two games. Not to mention it was 3-3 before wolfing down 10 straight wins.

Friday, though, was not beatific for the Buckeyes, who for the second straight week led at Twirling Time, only to see their foes deep-six their deficits after the musical interlude.

Gilmer opened Friday’s proceedings with a fireball 89-yard offensive, abetted by penalties, and culminating in runner Alec Sims’ 1-yard TD trip to the right with 7:04 left in the first quarter.

And the Buckeyes used successful subterfuge on the PAT, feigning a kick as holder Cadon Tennision whizzed a two-point conversion pass to Sims.

Chapel Hill counter-attacked with a touchdown trek on its own first foray, a 68-yard travelogue finished by Brisbon’s 13-yard heave to Brooks. Despite being down by two points, the Bulldogs chose to go for only one, but Valencia kicked wide with 2:30 left in the opening quadrant.

Down 8-6, the Bulldogs chomped their way into the lead that must have left the Buckeyes incensed. Brisbon threw a short pass to his right to Rickey Stewart, a play seemingly designed to get short yardage, but the speedy Stewart somehow broke away to transform it into an 88-yard scoring sling.

Valencia airlifted the PAT with 6:32 left to Drill Team Time.

Gilmer, though, blocked Valencia’s 36-yard field goal attempt with 3:22 left to intermission, and on the third play afterward, McCown shot a 25-yard touchdown missile to Brendan Webb with 3:05 remaining. Brayden Pate clanged the first of his three successful PATs to send Gilmer back ahead, 15-13.

Pate wouldn’t fare so well, though, at the first half’s conclusion, which was almost as offbeat as the end of the second. He misfired on a field goal, only to get a second chance when the Bulldogs drew one of their numerous first-half penalties. Pate, however, then also kicked wide on a 33-yard re-try to finish the opening half.

The Buckeyes were also plagued in the opening two quarters by the Bulldogs purloining two passes – one apiece hurled by McCown and Tennison (who quarterbacked last year’s state champion team, but has played little at that position this season).

With Gilmer having finished the initial half with a lead, but the field goal fiaso as well, the hosts took the second-half kickoff and promptly regained command of the contest.

They steamed 55 yards to Beulah Land, including Brisbon’s 31-yard airmail TD to Brooks, who scored with a Gilmer defender holding into him.

Gilmer did partly block Valencia’s PAT try, though, leaving it 19-15 with 10:07 left in the third.

The visitors would also later gallantly rebound when defender Geramiah Noble pilfered a pass from Brisbon and rumbled 13 yards to tally with exactly three minutes left in the third. Pate banged the PAT to put the Buckeyes up 22-19.

On the ensuing kickoff, however, a Bulldog fumbled the pigskin, only to pick it up and thunder all the way to the Gilmer 15. On the second play afterward, runner Rickey Stewart swooped five yards to Glory Land and Valencia’s PAT put the hosts ahead 26-22 with 2:37 left in the third.

The Buckeyes, though, rebounded when Brisbon muffed a Gilmer punt and the visitors recovered at the CH 18. On the final quarter’s first play, McCown directed a 12-yard six-point sling to Webb with 11:56 left.

The Bulldogs, though, then quilted together the decisive scoring advance, taking nine plays to overrun 64 yards as Brisbon delivered the aforementioned TD to Brooks, who caught it when it bounced off either him, a Gilmer defender, or both.

The Buckeyes had to punt and CH ingested considerable time on its next possession in moving to the Gilmer 10 before botching the snap on a field goal try, letting the Buckeyes take over at their own 23.

What seemed like a good omen for Gilmer, though, proved deceptive. Although the lights-out play, which was the 14th the visitors ran in the game’s last 2:18 as they tried desperately to achieve a late triumph, was upheld, the killer interception snuffed that ambition.

The Buckeyes host powerful Kilgore at 7:30 p.m. Friday, hoping the third time this season is indeed the charm as it proved last year.