GAYLESVILLE – Big plays were in short order for Friday night’s Cedar Bluff-Gaylesville football game, but when those big plays came, they came in the clutch for both teams.

Cedar Bluff was able to execute a couple more of those big plays than the Trojans, and that resulted in a 14-6 Tiger win in the Class 1A, Region 6 finale for both teams.

The first big play of the night went to Gaylesville (3-6, 2-5). With Cedar Bluff (7-2, 6-1) driving deep inside Trojan territory in the third quarter, Gaylesville defender Andrew Lindsey was able to pick off Tiger quarterback Kyle Crane’s pass at the 15 and return it 85 yards for the score.

The Trojans went for two but were denied, keeping the score at 6-0 with 7:52 left in the third quarter.

The Tigers stole momentum back on their next possession. It took only four plays for Cedar Bluff to drive 65 yards and take the lead on Crane’s 3-yard touchdown run to the left side of the line. Jim Nelson’s extra point made it 7-6 Tigers with 5:58 left in the third.

Cedar Bluff added to its precarious lead late in the fourth quarter. After the Tiger defense forced the Trojans to punt for the sixth time on the night, Cedar Bluff marched 79 yards in nine plays. The end result was Crane’s 7-yard touchdown run, which helped put Cedar Bluff up 14-6.

Gaylesville still had one last chance, and the Trojans looked as if they would capitalize. Quarterback Luke Murphy completed two consecutive long pass-plays to receiver Nick Reed to give the Trojans a first-and-10 at the Tiger 15.

On the next play, Murphy was intercepted by the Tigers’ Anthony Taylor at the 14 with 2:58 remaining in the game.

“Coach just emphasizes you have to make big plays in tough times,” Taylor said of his interception. “I saw the ball and I knew I had to come down with it, or else it could have totally changed the game around if they would have scored.”

Gaylesville coach Brian Clowdis also noted the importance of Taylor’s play.

“It was one of those deals where he (Murphy) threw the ball where he was supposed to. It just bounced off of our guy’s shoulder pads and the kid (Taylor) catches it,” Clowdis said. “What can you say? I guess that’s just the way it was supposed to end.

“I will say this. Our kids probably played as hard as they could possibly play against a good football team.”

Cedar Bluff gained a couple of first downs after the interception and ran out the clock for the win.

Cedar Bluff coach Jonathan McWhorter said his offense struggled in the first half moving the football, but his coaching staff challenged them at the half and the team responded.

“They understood that we had to take control of the line of scrimmage,” he said. “I’m proud of our kids for coming back in the second half and finding a way to get some points on the board and then stopping them.”

The Trojans were led by Cain Higgins’s 77 yards on 25 carries.

Jim Nelson led the Tigers’ rushing attack with 104 yards on nine carries. Jake Bevels added 94 yards on nine carries. Crane finished with 54 yards and the Tigers’ two scores on 13 carries.

Nelson and Bevels had to shoulder much of the rushing duties due to Skylar Boswell and Thomas Washington being banged up from last week’s loss to Gaston.

“Our line just did a great job of opening holes, especially in the second half,” Nelson said. “Without them, we couldn’t have done anything in the second half.”

Added Bevels: “It was tough without (Boswell and Washington), but me and Jim did our best to keep the team’s momentum going, and our linemen played a big part in that.”