Gillette KO’s East In Slugfest [VIDEO]

Highlights of the Friday, September 7th football game between #2 Gillette at #3 Cheyenne East.

Scroll down to watch the highlights of the game!

The 2 teams combined for more than 1,000 of total offense, in a game between 2 of the top offenses in the state.

Fans were ready for battle in this game…and they got one all right. Two of the best offenses in the state.

Number 2 Gillette at #3 Cheyenne East…first quarter…Gillette wearing the white…and they are taking to the air. Austin Fort rolls out and he’s got a man open on the near side…Dani Fischer…24 yards. Fort was 20 of 35 passing for 373 yards and 4 TD’s…his team strikes first up 7-nothing.

East was relying on their passing attack as well…Tevis Bartlett threw for 270 yards himself…including this 27 yard pick up…that Cameron Johnson had to reach up and snag…but it kept the drive alive and the home team was in business.

But that changed on the next play…Bartlett did not put enough distance on this one…and Cole Petty read it right and gets the interception to snuff out that scoring threat…now his team-mates can get back to work on offense.

However…Gillette would return the favor…Fort’s pass is too high to be handled…it’s tipped and picked off by Hayes Stone. He’ll take it back to about the 35 yard line were the Thunderbirds were more than happy to set up shop again.

But on the next play…the tide would turn again. Bartlett has a receiver but he was double covered…and that’s usually not a good sign. Tanner Kissick makes the catch and he’s going the other way with it…he’d bring the ball back all the way to the East 19 yard line…and when you return a turnover that far…you better cash in on it.

It took 2 plays, and the visitors would do just that…Taylor Bigelow takes the pitch…thought about going outside, but then he saw an open lane in the middle and he went right through it…8 yards to the promised land…to give his Camels a 14-zip advantage.

East knew had to answer…and if we’re showing a kickoff…you can easily guess what’s about to happen. This is Brandon Dominy…catches the ball at the 6…gets some good blocking…finds a lane in the middle…weaves his way through…he’s only got one more guy to get around and that’s no problem. The senior is leaving everyone behind in the dust…94 yards to the house…that might be a school record…we never got the official word…but the Thunderbirds are finally on the board…and only trail 14-to-7.

The visitors would bend, but they would not break…Fort knows what he’s doing…he had Fischer in his sights the whole time…eagle 1…the package has been delivered…a 43 yard pick up to the Thunderbird 5 yard line. They were knocking on the door, although it was still 14-7 after the first 12 minutes.

2^nd quarter…Gillette would finish what they started…Luke Sather will bust his way in from 2 yards out for the touchdown…PAT no good, so the score is now 20-to-7 at this point.

It took awhile before something else happened again…but with less than 2 minutes to go before the halftime…Bartlett would take matters into his own hands…he follows his lead blocker and has an easy path into the end zone from 7 yards away. His team is within striking distance…trailing 20-to-14.

And the opposition would try to get one more in themselves…but this one was not what it was…there’s the yellow hankie in the backfield…that’s an easy giveaway that this play will not count…but it’s worth showing anyway…Bigelow takes the swing pass…cuts back inside and he’s off to the races for 80 yards…but like I said…it counts for nothing…holding on the offense…no score…so things stayed at 20-to-14 going into the break.

3^rd quarter…The Camels got back to work…Fort with the option keeper…great stiff arm on the would be tackler…hits a road block…reverse direction and he is gone for 46 yards…he also had 171 yards rushing…his team now has some breathing room…up 27-to-14.

And they were looking for more…Fort dumps it off to Bigelow…and this time the play will count…he just has to finish the job…he’ll slip 1 tackler and get in from 32 yards…the visitors were breathing a little easier with the scoreboard reading 34-to-14.

Here they come again…The Thunderbirds defense needs to show up soon or else this game is going to be over…Trey Herrera is going to step in front of this long pass and catch it himself…that’s the break that his team needed…now they just have to get the offense going.

The drive ended up stalling, but Bartlett refused to let it die…here’s comes a fake punt try…the East QB proved to be a little slippery to bring down, as he’ll get the first down and some more…so the offense can continue their work.

On the next snap…the trick play would pay off. Bartlett…setting his sights on Johnson…and the junior receiver was able to beat out 2 defenders and reel that ball in for a 38 yard scoring play…the home team needed that one and now the boys in black are only down 34-to-21, in what turned out to be an offense showcase on both sides.

Later…Bartlett was taking a few risks in this game…like throwing into double coverage…but at times…you got to take a chance and here it worked again. Brian Lopez does the honors this time…and he’s got plans to get into the end zone. It might be…it could be…it’s…almost…the ref said he stepped out of bounds at the 3 yard line…so it’s a 56 yard pickup…in total…these 2 teams combined for more than 1-thousand yards of offense.

But the score needs to be a little closer…Shane Brocks will take care of the problem with this 2 yard scamper…and it’s down to a one possession game…34-to-28 going into the final 12 minutes and we still have a party going on, both on and off the field!

4^th quarter…Gillette was not about ready to give up the lead, but this is one play that Fort wanted to have back…he overshot his target and Johnson comes up with the turnover…but the Thunderbirds could not do anything with it and had to punt it back.

Fort would try it again on the next possession; although this time, he did not quite aim as far…he had faith that Cody Kelley was going to take care of 17 yards once he got the ball. The junior owned up to his end of the deal for a much needed score…Camels now lead, 41-to-28.

The T-Birds would march and answer…Bartlett leaps over the pile…he almost made that look like he was in the high jump or something…1 yard…6 points…plus the P-A-T…home team trails, 41-to-35.

We got ourselves game, and on this play…lady luck played her hand as you are about to see. Fort is scrambling, and he’s trying to make something happen…this pass did not have the distance…but Herrera tips it, and he tipped it the wrong way, because Kris Adams was in the right place at the right time…see ya…52 yards…that was the straw that broke the Thunderbirds’ back with a little less than 4 minutes to go…and the Camels…remain undefeated…beating East for the 6^th straight time…48-to-35.