Tigers pull away late, hold off Woodland in Bartow County rivalry
- 24 minutes ago
- 3 min read
August 29, 2026
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
Adairsville used a strong running game and a pair of late touchdowns to pull away from Woodland on Friday night, defeating the Wildcats 33-25 at Wildcats Stadium in a Bartow County intra-county rivalry game.
The Tigers improved to 2-0 with the victory, while Woodland dropped to 1-1.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Adairsville broke through with 9:35 remaining in the second quarter when its quarterback, Braxton Elrod, scored on a 14-yard run. The extra point by Alex Ochoa made it 7-0.
Woodland answered with a 30-yard field goal by Chad Waller with 6:46 left in the half, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
Adairsville added to its lead just before halftime when running back Jayvian Carter scored on a 7-yard run with 51 seconds remaining. The Tigers took a 14-3 advantage into the locker room.
Woodland came out of halftime with momentum. Solomon James broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown run with 7:56 left in the third quarter, trimming Adairsville's lead to 14-10.
The Tigers responded, however, with a 9-yard touchdown run by running back Ezequiel Carter with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter. Adairsville carried a 21-10 lead into the final period.
Adairsville extended its advantage to 27-10 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Elrod to Torron Hale with 8:11 remaining. The ensuing extra point failed.
Woodland refused to go quietly. James scored his second touchdown of the night on a 3-yard run with seven minutes remaining, bringing the Wildcats within 27-17.
Adairsville answered with another touchdown from Carson, who scored on a 15-yard run with 2:17 left. The extra point failed, but the Tigers had a 33-17 cushion.
James completed his big night with his third rushing touchdown, scoring from 2 yards with 42 seconds remaining. Woodland then converted a two-point pass from Sam Ray to Trevor Mann, cutting the margin to 33-25.
The Wildcats could get no closer.
Woodland coach Andy Scott pointed to two first-half turnovers that he said proved costly.
“We committed two costly turnovers in the first half that pretty much made the difference in the game,” Scott said. “We gave a good Adairsville team a short field, which led to 14 points.”
Scott took responsibility for both miscues.
“Both were my fault; as a coach, you should never change punt returners during the game, and running a reverse backed up was a bad call as well,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job as the coach to put our players in a better position to win.”
Scott also credited the Tigers.
“Hats off to Adairsville; they are well coached and have a great program,” he said.
Adairsville coach Jon Cudd described the game as “a tale of two halves,” praising his defense for limiting Woodland's running game and taking advantage of opportunities in the opening half.
Cudd said the Tigers' offense found its rhythm after a second-half turnover and highlighted the play of the offensive line and running game.
“I thought our offensive line took a big step and our running game really got on track,” Cudd said.
Cudd credited big runs by Carter, Carson and Elrod down the stretch for helping Adairsville maintain its lead.
He was less pleased with the Tigers' defensive finish but credited Woodland for making plays late.
“They have some dudes, and they made plays to put them in position to make it a one-score game,” Cudd said.
Adairsville will look to remain unbeaten Friday night when the Tigers welcome North Murray (0-1) to Tiger Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Mountaineers were idle on Friday.
Woodland will host North Springs (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Spartans are coming off a 57-12 loss at Creekview.
~~ Stuart Morse contributed to this report.
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