The DeKalb County Tigers football team was back on their home field last Friday night, taking on the Cumberland County Jets. The game was not only the last home game of the season for the Tigers, but also served as Senior Night, recognizing the senior players, managers, and cheerleaders this year.

It was a game that was a must win in order to stay in the ranks for the playoffs. The Tigers had come away from a loss in what was for the most part a close game against Macon County the previous week, and needed a win to stay in contention. They would not disappoint the home crowd.

The Jets won the toss and elected to receive to start the game, and would return the kickoff to their own 26. There, the Tiger D-line stood fast, allowing only three yards before Cumberland was forced to punt.

The ball would roll dead at the DeKalb 25, and from there the Tigers would mount their first scoring drive of the night. Three straight keeps by QB Briz Trapp took the ball to the 38, then a pass to Jordan Parker was caught and downed at the 41, but a personal foul on the Jets moved the ball down to the Cumberland 44.

A pass to Andrew Dakas was good for another first down at the 34, then a pair of Ari White carries were down to the 26. Briz Trapp kept the ball three more times, reaching the 27, before taking a sack back at the 32. On a second and 19 play, Trapp tossed it in the air and completed to Marquez Chalfant for a touchdown. It would be the first of several for Chalfant on the night. With Adrian Prater’s extra point kick through the uprights, the Tigers took the 7-0 lead with 4:21 left in the first quarter.

The Jets were not about to lay down and began moving the ball down field on their next possession. Starting at their own 34, Cumberland relied on the legs of Jordan Propst for several carries, along with some keepers by QB Bryson Wilson. In seven plays they were at the DeKalb 14, where a Propst run was stuffed at the line, then another resulted in a one-yard loss.

As the second quarter began, on third and 10 from the 14, a pass to Cayden Matthews fell incomplete, and the Jets set up for a field goal attempt. An offsides penalty by the Tigers made things a little easier, and the kick was up and good. The Jets were on the board 7-3, with 11:48 left in the half.

The celebration on the Cumberland side of the field would not last long. On the kick, Ryon Lyons would return 95 yards for a touchdown. With Prater’s extra point, DeKalb had extended their lead 14-3 with 11:32 left in the second quarter.

After the kick went out of bounds, the Jets would start at their own 35. The field position wouldn’t matter much as once again the DeKalb defense got down to business. The Jets would reach the 39 before a high snap resulted in a sack at the 36, then another sack at the 34. Facing a fourth and 11, Cumberland punted, setting DeKalb up for yet another scoring drive.

The Tigers would start at their own 32, and would quickly move downfield. A Malachi Trapp run was good to the 41, then a keeper was downed at the 49. A pass to Malachi was stuffed at the line, but another pass to Trapp was good to the Jets’ 25. Anther keep took the ball to the 15, then another Malachi run was good to the 11, but a block in the back flag, a bad call by the officials, nullified the gain and put the ball back at the 25. It wouldn’t matter. The next play, a deep pass to Chalfant, was good for the touchdown. With the extra point, DeKalb had jumped to a 21-3 lead, with 6:28 left in the half.

Cumberland couldn’t manage to get rolling on their next possession, but a mistake by the Tigers would end with the Jets cutting into DeKalb’s lead.

Starting at their own 22, the Jets would mix up the air and ground game. They would reach their own 45 where, facing a fourth and five, they again set up to punt. The kick was up and away, and went out of bounds at the DeKalb 16.

On the Tigers first play, a carry by Malachi was fumbled and recovered by the Jets at the DeKalb 24. Cumberland stepped to the line and a Wilson pass to Nolen Carter was complete to the end zone. The extra point kick was good and with 3:16 left in the half the Jets had cut the lead 21-10.

DeKalb would start next from their own 27, but penalties would doom the drive. Another Malachi run was quashed by a holding penalty, eventually resulting in the Tigers having to punt.

A bad bounce on the punt would give the Jets the ball at the DeKalb 39, and there they would try to add to the scoreboard before the clock ticked down. They would reach the Tiger 33, before a Propst run was stuffed back at the 35. A pass play fell incomplete and the Jets set up for a long field goal attempt. The kick was up but fell short of the goal post. The Tigers would get the ball back, running the clock to end the half.

DeKalb would get the ball to start the second half and right away added to their tally. The Jets’ kick went out of bounds, setting DeKalb up at their own 35. A Malachi run would lose two yards, but they would hand the ball right back to him on the next play and he would break lose to the Cumberland 38. A Briz Trapp keeper was down at the 28, then a pass to Malachi was good in the end zone for a touchdown. The PAT was good and with 9:53 left in the third, the Tigers held a 28-10 lead.

The Jets would start at their own 27 on their next drive and it looked as if luck might be on their side. Propst runs were good to the 37, where the drive seemingly stalled. After a false start on a third and 10 play, a pass fell incomplete and Cumberland set up to punt. The kick was up and landed with a Tiger touching the ball but not securing it. The Jets fell on the ball at the 47 and gave new life to the drive. The Tiger D-line stepped up and held the Jets to minus one yard, forcing Cumberland to again punt from the 46.

DeKalb started from their own 13, but were smelling blood. A Malachi Trapp run was good to the 20, then Briz had to throw the ball away on the next play. Malachi was handed the ball again, and this time he was all the way in for a touchdown, but once again he was robbed of a big play by a penalty. A spot foul on a block in the back put the ball back at the 19.

From there, a keeper was good to the 27, then a pass to Parker was good to the 46. Another keep had the ball at the 43, then another pass to Parker was good to the 37. It was then that Briz once again found Chalfant. A deep pass was caught and in for six. The extra point made the score 35-10 with 50 seconds left in the third.

The Tigers were not finished. The defense held the Jets to just eight yards on their next drive, forcing another punt from their own 37. The punt would shank out of bounds at the Cumberland 47, giving DeKalb great field position.

Malachi would carry to the 37, then again to the 24. Kevin Ahlgard would carry for a one-yard loss, then Briz Trapp would take a sack back at the 28. On a third and 14 play at the 28, Trapp passes to Chalfant, down to the 18, then connected again at the nine for a first down. A keeper was good to the five, then Jordan Parker would get the carry in for the touchdown. With the PAT, the Tigers were up 42-10 with 6:00 left in the game.

The Jets would have one last possession, but it would all be too much and too late. The Tigers would claim the 42-10 hometown victory.

DeKalb will have a bye this week, but will travel to White County on October 20, then to Upperman on October 27 to close out the regular season.