By Keith Ledbetter

For the FCT

This season looked to be the year that the Red Bay Tiger football team would go deep into the 2A state playoffs, but that hope ended Friday night after the Tigers fell 16-12 to Woodland.

Red Bay, who had averaged 43 points per game in their regular season, scored only twice in their first round loss to the Bobcats.

The Tigers’ second quarter scoring drive started near the end of the first, when Red Bay’s Daniel Wooten stopped the Bobcats’ runner on a fourth and four conversion attempt.

After successful keeper runs by Red Bay quarterback Troy Borden, a completed pass to Reed Holt placed the Tigers at the 10 yard line.

Woodland’s offside penalty moved Red Bay to the five, but two attempts by Tyler Reach only picked-up one yard.

Reach found the end zone on the first play of the second quarter with a four-yard run over the left side.

After a missed point after kick, Red Bay had a brief 6-0 lead.

Woodland mounted a slow six-minute drive that ended with a quarterback keeper TD run. A two-point conversion put the Bobcats up by two, 8-6.

A pass interception by Red Bay senior Jade Pounds stopped Woodlands’ drive in the early minutes of the third, but Red Bay failed to convert and were three and out, punting the ball to the 21 yard line of Woodland.

Both teams swapped punts two times until Red Bay’s last punt gave Woodland possession on the Tigers’ 38 yard line.

Three plays later Woodland’s Justus Herring scored from one foot out. Herring also added the two-point conversion to extend the Bobcats’ lead to 16-6.

Red Bay added six more on a completed TD pass to Nick Thorn with 2:39 remaining in the game.

An onside kick by the Tigers’ failed to go the required 10 yards and Woodland took over and ran the clock out to end the game.