Cohen Grissom runs in for his first touchdown of the night for the Rockets. (Post Photo by Kacy Kincaid)
By KACY KINCAID
Sports Writer
CORNERSVILLE — The Cornersville Bulldogs (0-2) faced off against the Forrest Rockets (2-0) in an in-county rivalry at “Frog Bottom” on Friday night, with the Rockets cruising to a 43-16 victory.
The Rockets’ word of the week was ‘effort,’ which head coach Justin Palmer believes his team lived up to.
“I wanted to see an effort in continuing to build on the things we did well and an effort to fix the things that we didn’t do so well,” said Palmer. “I feel like we accomplished that tonight.”
The game took an early twist when Forrest’s starting quarterback, junior Ryan Hill, suffered an ankle injury just minutes into the contest.
“He’s worked so hard, and he’s performed so well, and he’s just such an important part of the team,” said Palmer.
“Probably the biggest smile I had tonight was watching him walk out here to the huddle, so that was encouraging. I just want to get him back.”
Senior Aiden Cantrell stepped in to lead the offense and the Rockets didn’t miss a beat despite the setback.
Forrest quickly advanced into Bulldog territory, and with 5:37 left in the first quarter, Cohen Grissom broke the ice with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Grissom followed it up with a successful two-point conversion, giving the Rockets an early 8-0 lead.
The Bulldogs struggled to find their rhythm on offense, punting on their first two possessions and allowing Forrest to maintain control deep in Cornersville territory.
The Rockets capitalized on their momentum, with Quincy Mitchell driving them into the red zone and Grissom adding another short touchdown run to extend the lead.
After Cantrell’s two-point conversion, Forrest held a 16-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Cornersville showed signs of life.
Quarterback Jackson Smith led the charge, with Brandon Hargrave and Austin Cooper helping to move the chains.
Hunter Uland capped off the drive with a 3-yard dash into the end zone, followed by Smith’s two-point conversion run to close the gap to 16-8 with 9:55 left in the half.
With a punt on their next possession, the Rockets handed Cornersville another opportunity to capitalize.
The ‘Dawgs worked into Rocket territory, Smith finding Cooper on a pass to land on the Rocket 16-yard line, but Forrest came up with a key fourth down stop, Cornersville coming up short after a long march.
Three plays later, freshman Mitchell went on a 75-yard touchdown trek with 2:09 left in the half.
Isai Garcia split the uprights giving the Rockets a 23-8 lead going into halftime.
Forrest dominated the third quarter, opening with a nine-play, five-minute drive capped by another Grissom touchdown, this time from the 1-yard line.
Garcia’s PAT extended the lead to 30-8.
The Bulldogs couldn’t find their footing on the following drive and Forrest quickly took over at the Cornersville 40-yard line.
Cantrell carried the ball to the 25, setting up Isaac Cruse for a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Although Cornersville blocked the extra point, Forrest’s lead ballooned to 36-8.
Cornersville rallied late in the third quarter, with Smith connecting on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Fitzpatrick. Smith’s two-point conversion run brought the score to 36-16, but Forrest’s defense held firm.
After both teams traded unsuccessful possessions, Mitchell again powered Forrest down the field, setting up Grissom for a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:17 left to play.
Garcia’s final extra point sealed the 43-16 victory for the Rockets, capping off a dominant performance in the rivalry matchup.
“I was proud of how hard our guys played and that they never gave up and kept fighting for four quarters. We just have to start reading our keys and focusing on our job each play. [Starting] 0-2 is not how we wanted to start but we’re excited to get back to work this week and get ready for a big region game,” Cornersville coach Elliot Cook said.
“I feel like we were a little flat tonight compared to what we were last week,” said Palmer.
“We still made a bunch of mistakes, but our ball security was better. We didn’t turn the ball over. We still had a lot of penalties, but I know we cut down from what we had last week—It’s a climb. We don’t want to peak right now. If we stay on that steady climb and peak when we need it the most, we’ll do fine.”
Mitchell led all players with 247 yards on the evening.
The Rockets will host the Community Vikings on Friday, while the Bulldogs will travel to take on the Collinwood Trojans.
Both games are set to kick off at 7 p.m.
Forrest 16 7 13 7 — 43
Cornersville 0 8 8 0 — 16
First Quarter
F — Cohen Grissom 4 run (Grissom run), 5:37
F — Grissom 9 run (Aiden Cantrell run), 0:40
Second Quarter
C — Hunter Uland 3 run (Jackson Smith run), 9:55
F — Quincy Mitchell 75 run (Isai Garcia kick), 2:09
Third Quarter
F — Grissom 1 run (Garcia kick), 7:14
F — Isaac Cruse 20 pass from Cantrell (kick blocked), 3:54
C — Cameron Fitzpatrick 24 pass from Smith (Smith run), 0:16
Cameron Fitzpatrick makes the touchdown catch for the Bulldogs in the third quarter. (Post Photo by Kacy Kincaid)
Isaac Cruse scores a touchdown for the Rockets in the second half. (Post Photo by Kacy Kincaid)
Cornersville quarterback Jackson Smith drops back for the pass. (Post Photo by Kacy Kincaid)
Cornersville blocks the Forrest PAT. (Post Photo by Kacy Kincaid)
Fourth Quarter
F — Grissom 2 run (Garcia kick), 2:17
