Bulldogs end Devils’ 9-year streak of region championships
By TAYLOR BECK, Sports Editor
In a game that lived up to every bit of its billing as a DeKalb County classic, No. 5 Geraldine outlasted No. 3 Fyffe 17-6 Friday night at Coolidge-Isbell Field to capture the Class 3A, Region 8, championship.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 7-0) ended Fyffe’s nine-year reign as a region champion and snapped the Red Devils’ seven-game winning streak with a performance built on toughness, execution, and poise in the biggest moments.
“It’s great to be a Bulldog,” Geraldine head coach Michael Davis said postgame.
“Just super proud of our guys tonight. The way they fought, the way they battled all night. We didn’t play a perfect game, and the way they handled when things didn’t go our way, I’m super proud of them. They didn’t combine a bad play with a bad play. They found a way to get a stop [on defense] and to continue to move the chains on offense.”
It was a defensive slugfest early, with both teams — who each entered averaging more than 44 points per game — struggling to find rhythm offensively. Geraldine struck first late in the second quarter when placekicker Lucas Phillips drilled a 34-yard field goal with 6:50 remaining before halftime to make it 3-0.
Fyffe (7-2, 6-1) came out of the locker room hot, taking its only lead of the night when Ryder Gipson broke through the Bulldog defense for a 51-yard touchdown run just 55 seconds into the third quarter. The 2-point try failed, giving the Red Devils a 6-3 edge. Gipson finished the night with 10 carries for 85 yards.
Geraldine didn’t flinch. On the ensuing possession, quarterback Jon Beck Wade answered with a 56-yard touchdown sprint, swinging the lead back to the Bulldogs at 10-6 with 7:19 to go in the third.
Fyffe’s next drive stalled on downs near midfield, and Geraldine made them pay. A 53-yard run by Wade set up his own 2-yard touchdown plunge with 10 seconds left in the quarter, pushing the Bulldogs ahead 17-6.
From there, Geraldine’s defense took over. With 7:22 remaining, Fyffe threatened at the Bulldog 38 before the Bulldogs’ Eli Schlageter intercepted a pass at the 20-yard line to seal the deal.
Geraldine converted all three of its fourth-down attempts, including one late in the fourth quarter that helped the Bulldogs drain the clock. Fyffe, meanwhile, was 0-for-3 on fourth-down conversions and turned the ball over once.
“When you play great teams, they’re gonna make big plays,” Davis said. “And you gotta find ways to overcome those and find ways to let it go and to play the next play. And that’s what we talked about. We put them in scenarios throughout the week and felt like we had a really good defensive plan going in, and ultimately it just comes down to who’s more physical… It comes down to who stops each other and who plays the best.”
Wade led the way offensively, rushing for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries while also throwing for 34 yards on 4-of-7 passing. Schlageter added 47 yards on 16 carries, and Braxton Franklin chipped in 23 yards on four attempts.
Defensively, the Bulldogs limited Fyffe to 179 total yards, including 130 on the ground. Gabe Garcia had a team-high 6.5 tackles. Braxton Franklin tallied 4.5, Kade Justice with 4, Kenneth Watson 3, and Schlageter with 2.5 tackles and an INT.
With the victory, Geraldine claimed its first region title since 2018 and just the sixth in program history. The Bulldogs will host a first-round playoff game as the No. 1 seed.
“You know, it’s one of the goals that this team set out,” Davis said. “They wanted to win the region, and then move forward and have a really successful playoff run here.
“I know exactly how hard these guys work, and I love seeing them accomplish things that they set out to do, and they’re seeing their hard work come to fruition tonight.”
Davis, now in his fifth season, improved to 45-14 as head coach—ranking second all-time in wins at Geraldine.
Fyffe, which had won nine straight region titles and 20 overall under head coach Paul Benefield, will enter the playoffs as the region runner-up and No. 2 seed.
Geraldine has now won three of the last five meetings in the storied rivalry. Fyffe continues to lead all-time 46-36-2, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.
The Bulldogs, now winners of four straight since a Week 5 loss to Class 5A Boaz, will close out the regular season next week at home against Douglas (5-4) on Thursday night. Fyffe is off before beginning postseason play.
Geraldine quarterback Jon Beck Wade scored the first touchdown of the night for Geraldine on Friday, a 56-yarder that gave the Bulldogs a 10-6 lead over Fyffe at Coolidge-Isbell Field. The Bulldogs went on to win 17-6 and clinch the Class 3A, Region 8, championship. Photo by Taylor Beck l The Leader
