GASTON — The typically pass-heavy Cedar Bluff Tigers (4-4 overall) stuck to the ground game Friday night, racking up 194 yards rushing en route to an important 24-6 victory over the home-standing Gaston Bulldogs.

The win improved Cedar Bluff’s record to 4-1 in Class 1A Region 7 play and gave them the inside track to a home game in the first round of the state playoffs. The loss means Gaston will have to travel when the playoffs begin Nov. 4.

Tiger quarterback Levi Mintz entered the game with over 1,200 yards passing and 14 touchdowns. He added another scoring toss Friday, but only attempted eight passes all night. He completed three for 27 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Riheid Harris that sealed the game midway through the third quarter.

It was Dallas Plummer and the rest of the Cedar Bluff backfield who carried the load. Plummer rushed four times for 123 yards, including touchdown runs of 53 and 68 yards. Robert Henderson, a junior, added 53 yards on 19 carries.

Cedar Bluff head coach Jonathan McWhorter dialed up the play Plummer scored on after watching film of the Bulldogs during the week.

“They were rolling a safety down in the box, to our strong side, which takes away a lot of our power run stuff,” McWhorter said. “The two long runs Plummer broke were weak-side counter plays. That was an adjustment we made for them rolling their safety down.”

The game started out sloppy. Both teams saw drives ended by penalties in the first quarter. By the end of the game, officials had thrown their flags 15 times.

It was Plummer’s impressive 53-yard run two minutes into the second quarter that finally awakened the scoreboard operator. A missed point-after try left the score at 6-0 with 10:50 remaining in the half.

After Gaston ended its fourth three-and-out series in five tries, Mintz took the snap from center and pitched the ball to sophomore running back Dalton Cosby on an apparent sweep. Just before he was swarmed by Bulldog defenders, Cosby fired a 33-yard touchdown strike to Harris. Another missed PAT left the score at 12-0 at halftime.

Plummer’s second long run came on Cedar Bluff’s first play from scrimmage in the third. The 6-foot, 220-lb. senior broke into the Gaston secondary, found the sideline, then dragged a defender the final few yards for the score. A failed two-point try made the score 18-0 with only 12 seconds gone in the quarter.

Cedar Bluff’s final score came on Mintz’s 23-yarder to Harris.

“We hit a couple of passes when we had to,” McWhorter said. “We found a way to score 24 points somehow, and our defense played great. It was a game where we knew we were going to have to be physical up front to win. They have a lot of good athletes.”

Gaston running back Braxton Collins got the Bulldogs’ only points on a 22-yard run with three minutes remaining. Collins led Gaston’s run-heavy attack, compiling 98 yards on 15 carries. Gaston finished the game with 174 yards rushing. Quaterback Shai Ogles had an off-night, completing only four of 15 passes for 39 yards. He also fumbled twice.

“The things we’ve been doing all year that we’ve been able to overcome against weaker opponents, we weren’t able to overcome tonight,” Gaston head coach Josh Averett said afterwards. “Putting the ball on the ground, too many missed assignments, too many penalties, giving up too many big plays. That will come back to bite you against a good football team.”

Averett said he plans to focus on the positive as his team heads into the home stretch of his second season.

“I told them we’ve got two more weeks and then we’ve got the playoffs,” Averett said. “If we win against Woodville we’ll solidify that No. 3 spot in the region and once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen.”

Cedar Bluff hosts Gaylesville (3-5, 3-2) Friday night in a game that is important every year, regardless of the teams' records.

“It’s a huge trivalry game and anyone who grew up in those communities knows, they just kind of grew up with that,” McWhorter said. “If both teams are winless going in, it’s still the biggest game of the year.”

This year, the game is a must-win for both teams. The outcome will decide who finishes behind Collinsville (8-0) in the region and gets a home playoff game in round one.

“It’s a region game we’ve got to win to take sole possession of second place,” McWhorter said. “Coach Clowdis is going to have his guys fired up, it’ll be the best game they’ve played all year. I expect it to be the best game we play all year. It will be a fun atmosphere at our place next week.”