Trenton downs Bell on last-second touchdown

By Joel Elliot

With only two football teams in the county, and bragging rights for the entire upcoming year on the line, the game between the Bell Bulldogs and the Trenton Tigers is a game that many in this county mark on their calendars.
Last Friday, the game between these two schools was another game worthy to be called one of the most exciting ever.
Trenton would receive the kickoff in the first quarter, and looked to score quickly until Bell senior Seth Lee grabbed a Caleb Smith pass and raced untouched for what looked to be a Bell touchdown. The play was called back due to an illegal blocking penalty.
But quarterback Bradley Denham would quickly put points back on the board when he raced through Trenton defenders for a 71-yard touchdown run. The extra point was missed, and the score stood at 6-0.

As the fans look on from the north end zone, Bell’s Chris Wilkerson is unable to pull in this pass as he is tackled by Trenton’s Caleb Smith in the first half of the Gilchrist County Championship game Friday night. Photo by Anna Wild of Main Street Photography.

The two teams would trade possessions until Bell running back/defensive back Jeremy Zimmerman took a Trenton fumble and returned it a jaw dropping 83 yards for the score. The two-point conversion was no good, and the score moved to 12-0.
The second quarter belonged to Trenton, with sophomore running back Brandon Stone galloping for a 15-yard touchdown run. So, the home team went into the locker room trailing by six.
One of the touchdowns in the third quarter was a pounding touchdown run by Garth Frier from a yard out, which capped off a drive where Bell ran the ball very efficiently.
The other was a speedy, elusive run by Tiger running back Cedric Stokes. The extra point, (also made by Stokes) was good, and the Tigers would stay down at the end of the third quarter, 18-13.
The fourth quarter was a very exciting thing to see, with both teams playing gritty defense and grinding out yards where they could.
When a Bell punt gave Trenton the ball with excellent field position, the Tigers drove down the length of the field and looked to run out of time before scoring.
But a smart spike of the football by the Tigers’ quarterback Caleb Smith would stop the clock on fourth down with 1.5 seconds left on the clock. The last play of the game would feature junior wide receiver, Seth Moses, who would find a soft spot in the corner of the end zone and catch a lofty pass from Smith. The referee raised his hands as the traditional signal for a touchdown, as the Trenton stands exploded with excitement. The final score, which shocked the Bell fans, ended at 19-18.
Ironically, Trenton’s junior wide receiver who caught the winning pass for the Tigers, Seth Moses went to school at Bell up until this school year.
On Thursday, Sept. 24 the Trenton Tiger junior varsity football team will travel to the Dawg Pound in Bell to take on the Bell junior varsity football team with the kickoff set for 7 p.m. This contest will feature the younger athletes, but the excitement will be as intense at the varsity game was this past Friday night.
The Trenton varsity Tigers travel to Dixie County to meet the Bears in a district match up Friday night.
The Bulldogs will host Bronson in their first home game of the season. These games will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Attend the games and support your local teams.