Dougherty Trojans advance with 42-25 win over Gilmer

ALBANY — Nine minutes.

That’s how long Gilmer held the football on its opening possession Saturday afternoon at Hugh Mills Stadium.

Nine minutes of pounding the football, moving the chains and keeping Dougherty quarterback Micah Joyner standing on the sideline.

The Bobcats got three points out of it.

When Joyner finally got his hands on the football, the Trojans needed less than three minutes to answer with seven.

And that pretty much told the story.

Gilmer came to Albany with a plan to slow things down. Joyner and the No. 6 Trojans had no intention of cooperating.

The sophomore quarterback accounted for four touchdowns, and Dougherty’s defense delivered a pair of critical third-quarter stops as the Trojans pulled away for a 42-25 victory in the opening round of the GHSA Class 4A state playoffs.

Dougherty (10-1) will host Hampton (8-3) next week with a berth in the state quarterfinals at stake.

Gilmer wasn’t interested in a shootout.

With senior fullback Peyton Chauncey entering the game with 1,287 rushing yards, the Bobcats were determined to grind away at the Dougherty defense, control the football and shorten the afternoon.

And for much of the first half, they did exactly that.

The Bobcats ran on every play of their opening possession, with quarterback A.J. Callihan repeatedly finding room around the right side as the Trojans concentrated on stopping Chauncey.

But after marching the length of the field, Gilmer ran into Dougherty senior Eric Spann.

On third-and-goal from the 6, Spann dropped Callihan for a three-yard loss, forcing the Bobcats to settle for Carter Gearhart’s 25-yard field goal.

All that work for three points.

Dougherty’s response was considerably quicker.

Joyner connected with Melvin Williams and Jherel Gibson to move the Trojans downfield, and Morris Hill broke loose up the middle to the 2. Senior Trevion Williams scored on the first play of the second quarter, and Christian Hernandez added the extra point.

The Trojans led 7-3.

Gilmer answered with another methodical drive, this one ending with Callihan carrying the ball into the end zone for a 10-7 advantage.

It was the last lead the Bobcats would enjoy.

Sophomore Detavious Poole nearly returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, racing to the Gilmer 10 before being knocked out of bounds.

A holding penalty threatened to ruin the opportunity, but Joyner did what Joyner has done so often this season.

He made something happen.

The sophomore escaped defenders and found Florida A&M commit David Burgess open for a 17-yard touchdown pass, sending Dougherty into halftime with a 14-10 lead.

The Bobcats had controlled much of the first half.

The Trojans controlled what mattered most.

And in the third quarter, they took control of the game.

Dougherty’s first possession of the second half ended when a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, giving Gilmer the ball at its own 6.

For a team built around running the football, it was an opportunity to put together another long drive and eat away at the clock.

The Dougherty defense had other ideas.

Spann and Trevion Williams helped shut down the Bobcats, forcing a punt from the end zone and giving Joyner the ball at the Gilmer 35.

A few plays later, Joyner broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run.

Dougherty led 21-10.

The Bobcats got the ball back.

The Trojans stopped them again.

This time, Gilmer punted from its own 3, and Burgess returned the kick to the 32.

After Joyner picked up nine yards on the ground, Zion Johnson burst through the middle of the Bobcats’ defense for a 23-yard touchdown.

Hernandez added the extra point, and suddenly Dougherty led 28-10.

Two defensive stops. Two short fields. Two touchdowns.

In a matter of minutes, the Trojans had turned a tight playoff game into an 18-point advantage.

Gilmer still had some fight left.

Chauncey, the Bobcats’ workhorse fullback, scored on the opening play of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-17.

But the Bobcats barely had time to celebrate.

Joyner picked up yardage on the ground, then found Burgess open across the middle for a 51-yard touchdown that pushed Dougherty’s lead to 35-17.

It was another reminder of the problem Gilmer faced all afternoon.

The Bobcats could spend minutes putting together a scoring drive.

Joyner could erase it in seconds.

Gilmer refused to go quietly. Chauncey scored again on fourth down with less than four minutes remaining, and the Bobcats converted the two-point attempt to make it 35-25.

They even recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving themselves one more chance.

But Dougherty forced a turnover, and Joyner made sure there would be no comeback.

After completing a pass to Melvin Williams to move the ball to the 14, Joyner faked a handoff up the middle, kept the football and raced around the right side for his second rushing touchdown.

Hernandez’s extra point made it 42-25.

The Bobcats moved the ball on their final possession, but a Dougherty interception in the end zone ended their last threat.

Gilmer had traveled to Albany determined to keep the football away from Joyner.

The Bobcats ran it, protected it and spent much of the afternoon watching the clock tick away.

But they couldn’t keep Joyner on the sideline forever.

And every time he came back onto the field, the clock became a little less important.