Bobcats see their play-off hopes dashed
The Phil Campbell Bobcats’ play-off hopes were dashed Friday night with a 21-19 loss to the East Lawrence Eagles. The Bobcats needed to win their last two region games to make the playoffs.
Phil Campbell scored with less than four minutes left to play in the game and had a chance to tie the game with a two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete in the end zone.
East Lawrence converted a third-and-long, allowing the Eagles to run out the clock and win the game.
Phil Campbell scored first with 8:06 to go in the first quarter on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Luke Barnwell to Austen Baker. Abraham Gonzalez added the point after to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead.
East Lawrence tied the game on a 22-yard run with four and a half minutes to go in the quarter, and the Eagles scored two straight touchdowns to open the second quarter, racking up a 21-7 lead with 8:23 to go in the first half.
Phil Campbell stopped the bleeding on the first play of their ensuing drive on a 60-yard run by Trey Leindecker, but the Gonzalez point after was no good, giving East Lawrence a 21-13 lead with 8:07 to go in the first half.
Both teams locked into a defensive battle for the remInder of the game before the Bobcats scored with 3:47 to go. Barnwell hit a wide open Ridge Raper for a 20-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion to tie the game failed.
Phil Campbell led in total yards 273-220 and led in time of possession. Both teams tried to grind out a run game, with 15 pass attempts in the game.
Leindecker led the Bobcats with 139 yards on 15 carries.
Phil Campbell closes out region play Friday against Colbert Heights.