FOURTH QUARTER EXPLOSION OVERPOWERS BULLDOGS

Carver over Chamblee 26-24 in the Georgia Dome

Jackson Miller

From December 2007:

The Bulldogs dominated the Tigers for 42 straight minutes. That is why Bulldog Nation was shocked when the final score read 26-24 Carver.
“Our kids played their hearts out. It was a gut-wrenching defeat,” said head coach Jim Showfety.
The ill-fated Chamblee Bulldogs were triumphed by the Carver of Columbus Tiger’s miraculous six-minute comeback. Carver’s quarterback, DeRon Furr, and wide receiver, Jarmon Foreston, orchestrated this astounding plot twist. Chamblee jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 64-yard run by Darius Jones. A few timely penalties and turnovers helped Chamblee escape with a 10-6 lead at the halftime intermission.
The Bulldogs owned the third quarter. Chamblee scored twice in the third to take a 24-6 lead, one a 3-yard by Warren Norman and another a 16-yard rush by Malcolm Beyah.
Still trailing by 18 points with about six minutes to go, Carver launched the fireworks. They began with a quick drive that ended in a 2-yard run by Furr and a failed two-point attempt.
The Tigers executed an onside kick perfectly to get the ball back immediately. They proceeded to drive right down the field once again and get a full eight points to make it 24-20 Chamblee.
The Bulldogs finally got the ball back but could get little going. After going three and out, Chamblee temporarily spoiled the Tiger’s momentum by carrying out a fake punt for a fresh set of downs. But after two blown rushing attempts, Garrett William’s third-down pass attempt fell incomplete after Warren Norman stumbled over a referee.
The Tigers obtained the ball once more with enough time to put together another quick striking drive. After initially moving the ball well, Carver floundered around the 50-yard line and dug themselves into a fourth-and-long situation. That is when Foreston made a game-saving grab to put the Tigers on the 7-yard line. Furr scored the go-ahead touchdown two plays later to smash Chamblee’s championship aspirations.
“We had them in the first half, but we did not finish the game,” said Jones.
The Bulldogs eventually caved to the combination of big plays and good fortune of Carver. Foreston’s size and body control helped him achieve 222 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Furr also had a huge game amounting to a total of 369 yards and four scores.
“A lot of teams lose games like we did. We have to play for a full 48 minutes,” said Coach Showfety.
This was a tremendous experience for both Bulldog’s players and fans. Not only was the trip to the Georgia Dome historically groundbreaking, but it also gave Chamblee that taste of that top level of competition.
“The crowd support was phenomenal. I have coached several games in the Dome and I do not think I have ever seen such a crowd,” said Showfety.
Playing at the Dome certainly offered much more than any other venue that Chamblee played in all season. The Bulldogs played under the largest crowd of the season and had an even larger crowd observing from their homes. Chamblee fans could use the dome’s jumbotron to watch plays and to view personalized text messages. The Dome gave the game a professional feel.
“The Dome was the best atmosphere I have ever played in,” said senior Omoregie Uzzi. “It was the biggest crowd of my football career.”
“We were definitely disappointed [about the Carver game], but once we got over the loss, we realized we did something Chamblee had never done before,” said Jones.