Gore made a pair of defensive stands inside its own 10-yard line and forced a turnover in the final moments to seal a 14-6 win over Savanna in the regular season finale at K.G. Horn Stadium.
The Pirates, who have allowed less than six points per game in their eight victories this season, improved to 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the district. Savanna managed just 156 total yards while dropping to 7-3 and 6-3.
Gore struck first on Thursday, taking the opening kickoff and marching 77 yards in 10 plays to grab a 7-0 lead. Joe Lane made a pair of key plays on the drive. As the Gore punter, he took a snap on fourth down and ran 8 yards for a first down near midfield. Logan Andrews picked up 30 yards on a quarterback-keeper before Lane caught an 11-yard pass from Andrews for the touchdown. Marcus Ivarsson kicked the extra point at the 7:28 mark of the first quarter.
Savanna’s best opportunity to score in the first half came on its final possession of the second quarter, when the Bulldogs took over at the Gore 38. Landon Walker completed a pair of passes and Gore was flagged for pass interference to move the ball down to the 11-yard line. Gore stuffed Savanna on the first three plays and, on fourth down, Walker’s pass fell incomplete.
Gore led 7-0 at halftime and the Pirates put together a 16-play, 89-yard drive to double their advantage after the break. James Berry got the ball moving with an 11-yard run and the drive was aided by a roughing the kicker penalty against Savanna. Andrews picked up another first down with a 12-yard run and later passed 19 yards to Lane to move the ball down to the Savanna 2. Berry scored from there on the next play and Ivarsson’s extra point kick made it 14-0 with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Savanna responded by driving down to the Gore 5-yard line. On fourth down, Savanna’s Zac Doyle was treipped up inches short of a first down to end the threat.
The Bulldogs got the ball back three plays later when Ron Middleton recovered a Gore fumble at the Pirates’ 27. Walker cashed in on the turnover when he threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Reedis James with 4:59 to go. Savanna went for two on the conversion, but Lane broke up the pass to keep the score 14-6.
Gore put the ball in Andrews’s hands after that and the Pirate quarterback ran seven-straight times for 41 yards. Gore took nearly four and half minutes off the clock, but the drive came up empty when a 40-yard field goal attempt was short.
Savanna got the ball back at its own 20 with 1:24 remaining and Walker connected with a James for 15 yards. On the next play, Gore defensive tackle Ethan James jarred the ball loose from Walker and cornerback Jacob Johnson recovered for the Pirates to seal the victory.
Andrews, a linebacker on defense, was a key player on both sides of the ball. In addition to a picking off a pass in the first half and making numerous tackles, he completed 7 of 17 passes for 59 yards and rushed 28 times for a game-high 130 yards.
Berry added 22 yards rushing on seven attempts and Lane ran five times for 17 yards for the Pirates. Lane also caught five passes for 50 yards, while Wacy Connor had two receptions for nine yards.
Savanna quarterback Walker was 7 of 18 for 79 yards. Taylor Barr caught three balls for 39 yards and James caught two for 38. Zac Doyle led the Bulldogs in rushing with 52 yards on 13 carries.
With the loss, Savanna finishes fourth in the district and will face No. 2-ranked Stroud on the road in the first round.
Gore will open the playoffs with a first-round game at Stratford on Friday, Nov. 13.
