It was a dreary Halloween night as the DeKalb County Tigers football team took to the field for the last time this season. The rains had held off until most little ones had gotten through with their trick or treating, but the heavens opened up just before game time to add a bit of misery to what was scheduled as Senior Night.

Before the game, senior players, cheerleaders, managers, and band members took to the field with their parents as they were recognized in a ceremony. It rained only lightly for the event, then steadily grew heavier as gametime approached.

DeKalb won the toss and deferred to the second half, giving the visiting juggernaut in the region this year, the Upperman Bees, the ball to start the game. Starting from their own 21, and with a wet sloppy field, the Bees stuck to the ground game and slowly pushed down the field. Ethan Palk would run to the 26, then to the 32, where a Carmine Phillips carry was good to the 34. A false start backed them up five, but another Palk run was good down to the 42.

QB Bronzden Chaffin kept the ball himself for a carry to the 47, then Palk stumbled on the wet field for a three-yard loss. Chaffin would keep again for a first down at the DeKalb 48, where Palk would break loose for a carry down to the six. The next play, a Chaffin keep, was in for six points. After an offsides on the PAT, the Bees went for two. The keeper was good and with 7:14 left in the first, Upperman took the lead, 8-0.

Cecil Ketchum would return the kick to the 37, where the Tigers would start their first possession. A Ketchum run was stuffed at the line, then a Jordan Parker keeper was down at the 43. The rain contributed to a bad snap, ending with Parker falling on the ball back at the 34 and facing fourth down, the Tigers punted.

The punt would end at the 45, and with good field position the Bees were set to sting again. A Palk run was good to the 48, then a Chaffin keep was good to the DeKalb 48. Another Palk carry was down at the 39, then another keep had the ball to the 18. A Phillips run took the ball to the four, then Chaffin punched it in with 1:32 left in the first. With the PAT, the Bees were up 15-0.

DeKalb would start their next possession at their own 45, but would fail to gain any ground. The punt would put the ball back at the Upperman 25, but once again the Bees would strike. Keeping to the run game, Upperman would push down to the 43, then a keep to the 36. Two more Palk carries were good to the four, where he was handed the ball once more, in for six. With the PAT, Upperman led 22-0 with 7:36 left in the half.

Disaster just kept coming for DeKalb and the next drive would only go four plays. Starting at their own 38, a Parker keep was down to the Upperman 12, but a Ketchum run would lose two yards. Another keeper was down at the 13, then a fumbled handoff ended with the Bees recovering at the 15.

From there, the #1 ranked Bees would mount another scoring drive. A run was good to the 20, then a Chaffin keep was good to the 23. Palk would then break free for a carry all the way to the Tiger 16. He would get the ball twice more, to the 12, then into the endzone. Palk would then run it in for the two-point conversion, and with 3:21 left in the half, the Bees commanded a 30-0 lead.

Things seemed bleak for DeKalb, but they never gave up. On the kick Ryan Lyons returned the ball to the 35, where DeKalb would finally get rolling. A Ketchum run was stopped at the line, then a Parker keep was down at the 39. Another keep was stopped at the 43, and with nothing to lose the Tigers rolled the dice. This time Ketchum would break free and reach the 48 for a first down. Ketchum carried again, to the Upperman 48, then a keeper was downed at the 41. Despite the rain falling harder than ever, for the first time Parker took to the air, connecting a pass Tucker Webb down to the 12. The next play, a pass to Lyons, was in for the touchdown. The PAT was good, and the Tigers had avoided the goose egg and were on the board 30-7 with just one second left in the half.

DeKalb would get the ball to start the second half, but they wouldn’t get much yardage. Lyons would return to the Upperman 46, but after a pitch to Jon Hendrix, then a couple of keepers, the Tigers gains faced fourth down. Still with nothing to lose, they went for it. Parker would be tackled back at the 40 and the Bees would take over.

Upperman would struggle with the rain on their next possession. A Phillips carry was down to the DeKalb 45, then a pass to Branson Turnbow was good to the 30. There, a Palk run reached the 26, then a pass to Palk was down at the 23. A bad snap ended with an intentional grounding call back at the 39, then an incomplete pass on fourth down gave DeKalb the ball.

Parker would go 0 for 3 on passes on the drive, with an incomplete to Ketchum, over the head of Lyons, then incomplete to Ty Webb. They would punt.

The Bees would get the ball at their own 20, where a handoff to Palk was good to the 37, then another was in for six. With the PAT Upperman was up 37-7 with 3:54 left in the third.

The mercy rule was in effect and the Tigers were not only battling the Bees, but also the clock. On the kick Lyons returned to the 39, where a fumbled handoff ended with Upperman recovering at the 36. There, a pass to Turnbow was good to the one, then Phillips would drive it in for the touchdown. With the PAT and 3:54 on the clock in the third, Upperman was up 44-7.

The Tigers would get the ball at the 28 on their next drive, where after an incomplete pass, a keeper got a first down at the 43. A pass to Hendrix was good to midfield, then a Ketchum run was down at the Upperman 45. Another keep was stuffed at the line, then a completion to Hendrix was called back due to an ineligible man downfield. Back at the 50, a pass to Lyons was incomplete, but a keeper would net a first down at the 35. Another Parker run was good to the 27, then another to the 15. It was Parker again for a keep to the 10, then he was stopped at the line. Parker would take a sack at the 11 and facing fourth down, they went for it. The pass play fell incomplete in the endzone.

Upperman was backed up and after a run was stuffed at the line, a fumble ended with the Tigers falling on the ball at the 10. It would be all Parker again, keeping to the four, then another for the touchdown. With the PAT, DeKalb cut the lead 44-14 with 2:03 left in the game.

Though the Tigers never gave up, there was just too little time. Upperman was wind down the clock and claim an undefeated season with the 44-14 win.

The Upperman Bees end the regular season clinching the Region 4-4A regular season championship, and will enter the state play-offs next week at 10-0. The Tigers’ season ends with a record of 6-4, and 2-4 in the region.