Tigers rally to defeat Northwest Whitfield with a strong second half
- Staff
- Oct 18, 2025
- 3 min read
October 18, 2025
Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com
The Adairsville Tigers secured a thrilling 33-17 victory over the Northwest Whitfield Bruins this past Friday night at Tigers Stadium, bolstering their standing in the region with a strong second-half performance.
The game started with Northwest Whitfield winning the toss and electing to receive before striking quickly.
Bruins quarterback Gavin Nuckolls connected with Zirous Davison for a 46-yard touchdown pass just 1:18 into the first quarter. Nery Martinez’s PAT kick gave Northwest an early 7-0 lead.
After the Tigers’ opening possession stalled and turned the ball over on downs, Nuckolls and the Bruins struck again. Kade Mitchel hauled in a 61-yard touchdown pass at the 5:19 mark, pushing the Bruins’ lead to 14-0.
Adairsville responded late in the first quarter with its first points. Braxton Elrod capped a 7-play, 44-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Cooper Souders’ PAT made it 14-7 with 1:01 remaining in the quarter.
The Tigers then executed a successful onside kick but were hampered by penalties, stalling their momentum.
The second quarter saw both teams exchange three-and-outs until Nuckolls threw the first of his two interceptions. Westin Crisp picked off a pass in the end zone with 3:18 left in the half. Crisp was injured on the play and did not return.
The Tigers capitalized quickly, however, with Elrod completing back-to-back passes to Barrett Fuller for 31 yards and Colt Sanford for a 44-yard touchdown. Another Souders’ kick tied the game at 14-14.
With just 38.7 seconds left in the half, Northwest turned the ball over on downs at the Adairsville 22, and the Tigers seized the opportunity. Elrod connected with Sanford again for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds remaining that gave Adairsville a halftime lead. A missed PAT left the score 20-14.
The third quarter was a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging three-and-outs on their first two possessions. A short Adairsville punt early in the quarter gave Northwest prime field position, but the Tigers’ defense held firm.
The Bruins managed the only points in the third quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Martinez at the 6:29 mark.
Adairsville took control in the fourth quarter.
Elrod broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run with 11:10 remaining, though a failed two-point conversion left the score at 26-17.
The Tigers later sealed the game with 4:56 left, as Elrod powered in for a 20-yard touchdown run. A successful PAT extended the Adairsville lead to 33-17.
Northwest’s final push ended when Nuckolls was intercepted by KJ Smith inside the Tigers’ 30, allowing Adairsville to run out the clock.
“The backs ran hard and the offensive line played their best game to date,” said Adairsville head coach Jonathan Cudd on Saturday. “The defense gave up only three points after falling behind 14-0. It was a great team effort. The belief and buy-in over the last couple of weeks have been tremendous. We are finally starting to play to our capabilities.”
Elrod’s dynamic performance included 194 yards rushing with three touchdowns. The Tigers’ quarterback also had 118 yards passing with two scoring tosses to Sanford.
The Tigers’ victory moved them into second place in Region 7-AAA behind Calhoun.
Adairsville (4-4, 3-1) heads to Ellijay next week to face Gilmer. Meanwhile, Northwest Whitfield, now 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the region, will look to rebound at home against Ridgeland in their final regular-season game.
~~ Larry Gardner contributed to this report.
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