BRANTLEY – Straughn gave the Tiger faithful a thrilling 48-38 victory here Friday night, coming back from a 12-point deficit for the win.

Turnovers were the story for both teams in the first half, as each turned it over three times.

The first touchdown of the night came from Straughn senior Austin Bozeman, who stepped in front of a Brantley receiver for an interception and sprinted 35 yards for the score.

Brantley’s first score came on their next possession when Doug Salter punched it from 1-yard capping off a 14-play, 70-yard drive. The extra point was wide left leaving the Bulldogs trailing 7-6.

Straughn answered right back with a score of their own when Daryl George took a handoff left, broke a tackle, spun right and found nothing but green grass between himself and the end zone, 67 yards later, the Tigers’ lead grew.

Brantley wasted no time scoring, needing just two plays and 15 seconds when Frank Harris completed a pass to Parker Driggers for 40 yards, then found Xavius Coleman for a 30-yard touchdown strike. The Tigers still led after a botched BHS 2-point try.

After a turnover on downs forced by the Brantley defense, the Bulldogs found the end zone again. This time it was Tre Edwards finding a wide open receiver, who went 40 yards for the touchdown and a 20-14 Brantley lead.

Brantley found the end zone for the third straight time with a 24-yard run on an end around giving the Bulldogs a 26-14 lead with less than four minutes left in the first half.

The Straughn defense denied Brantley a chance to make it four straight drives when Lane Sirmon picked off a pass thrown by Edwards.

Straughn quickly got the second half going with a drive that included four plays of 10 or more yards. George finished off the drive with a stellar 15-yard touchdown run to cut into the lead.

Following the Straughn touchdown, a Brantley receiver somehow managed to break free of several Straughn Tigers en route to a nifty 74-yard touchdown.

Rollin Kinsaul got the Tigers rolling on their next drive as he barreled his way through a pile of Bulldogs for a 12-yard touchdown run.

Kinsaul once again led the Tigers on a march down the field, completing two passes on the drive, one of which went to Brice Scott who went 55 yards to set a 7-yard touchdown from Barrett Bush.

The Straughn defense caused a fumble on the next drive, setting up a short field for their offense. Jarvaris Samuel finished of the drive with a 1-yard touchdown rush.

The very next play the Straughn defense forced another interception from the Brantley quarterbacks Ethan Wilson read the play the whole way and just stepped right between the receiver and the ball and then raced 30 yards for the touchdown.

At the start of the fourth, both teams switched to their junior varsity players and Brantley managed to score once more in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Tigers.

“I’m happy for the win, but there were a lot of things we need to work on,” SHS head coach Trent Taylor said. “Turning the ball over three times in the first half, that has to get better, but we have the guys who can do it.”