Rebels Survive Dade’s Late Push, Win 21–14

By Staff Writer

BLUE RIDGE — Fannin County protected its home turf Friday night, holding off a fourth-quarter surge from Dade County to claim a 21–14 victory in Region 7-AA play.

The Rebels struck first behind quarterback Nate Oneal, who found Brayden Walker for a 27-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. After a defensive score by Dade evened things at 7–7, Oneal and Walker connected again in the second quarter on another 27-yard strike to put Fannin back in front at the half.

In the third, Judah Wood powered into the end zone from 3 yards out, stretching the Rebel lead to 21–7. Wood carried the load all night, finishing with 141 rushing yards on 23 attempts.

Dade made things tense in the final minutes, capitalizing on a long drive to cut the deficit to 21–14. The Wolverines then mounted one last push, marching the ball inside the Rebel 10-yard line with less than 20 seconds to play. But Fannin’s defense dug in, keeping the Wolverines in front of them to secure the victory.

The win moves Fannin County to 3–2 overall and 2–0 in the region, while Dade falls to 0–5. The Rebels will look to keep momentum rolling next week when they face Gordon Central.