Gilmer Holds Off Spring Hill, 44-42, in Back-and-Forth Thriller

GILMER -- Aaron 'Poppy' Brown scored a 12-yard touchdown with 1:44 left to give Gilmer a wild 44-42 win over Spring Hill on Friday in a District 7-4A Division II matchup.

Brown's touchdown, his second of the fourth quarter, put Gilmer up 44-35. Spring Hill was able to get in the end zone on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Gage White to Morgan Bradford with 58 seconds left in the game, but couldn't get the ball back in time.

Gilmer improved to 6-2 on the season and 2-1 in district, while Spring Hill -- which started the season with five consecutive wins -- dropped its third straight district game. The Panthers (4-3, 0-3) have lost their three district matchups by a combined six points.

The two teams combined for 42 points in the fourth quarter.

Gilmer had a two-point lead entering the final period after Bran Webb scored on a 9-yard run to put the Buckeyes up 23-21 and Zack Tulpa responded with a 2-yard touchdown run to get the Panthers within two.

The same two players scored their teams' next touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, with Webb scoring from 18 yards out and Tulpa from 11.

Brown scored on a 1-yard run with 8:30 left in the game to put Gilmer up 37-28, but Spring Hill was quick to answer again on a 63-yard touchdown run by Kiante Stoker, his second of the game.