By the time either team ran their first play from scrimmage 35 seconds into last Friday’s North Oconee-Rabun County game, the Titans had already built a 13-0 lead.

They went on to score 41 points in the first 12 minutes and routed the Wildcats 69-0 in the most lopsided win in Titans’ history. The 69 points is the most in program history.

“I have been in those kinds of games on the other side. It’s almost like you are standing there and the building fell on you and you can’t figure out how to get the bricks off,” said head coach Terry Tuley. “We went out with the attitude that you take the fight out of them early and get after it and play your game. The ball bounced right for us a couple of times.”

VIDEO: Watch the Titans score over and over again against Rabun County

It’s the third consecutive home game for the Titans to open the season, and they improved to 3-0. The win was the fourth straight year the Titans have shutout Rabun County and the fifth straight win in the series.

Rabun County won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Nick Colvin took the opening kickoff 97 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Cody Clark’s extra point made it 7-0 13 seconds into the game.

“We felt if we played good defense we would only get one shot at it,” Tuley said. “We worked on a nice scheme that we wanted to try and see if it worked. Sure enough it opened up and he took it to the house. It shows you it’s good to have Colvin back at full speed.”

On the ensuing kickoff, Ugonna Akoh recovered a fumble during the return and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead 29 seconds into the game. Clark missed the extra point.

“We don’t like missing those extra points,” Tuley said. “To his defense, he is a senior kicking as a freshman because this is his first year kicking. He has a lot of years to make up for in a hurry. He’s getting better.”

When the Titans offense did get the ball, they threw every down in the first quarter but one, which was a designed pass that was a 1-yard loss on the quarterback sack. Blake Gaubert was 7-for-11 in the quarter with three touchdown passes. The first was a 21-yard completion to Jesse Roberts, the second was a 10-yard completion to Dalton Greene and the third was a 47-yard completion to Colvin for a 34-0 lead. Colvin also returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown and a 41-0 lead.

“We wanted to show them how we play and not slow down to send a message to Hart and all of them,” Greene said.

In the second quarter the Titans handed the ball off every play and found the end zone three more times. David Pinkerton had a 40-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the quarter. Greene had a 1-yard touchdown run midway in and Kawon Bryant had a 13-yard rush for a touchdown and a 62-0 lead with 2:18 left.

“It was exactly opposite of what you are going to do with the wind. We would have liked to have the wind to throw it with only because it’s a little bit easier,” Tuley said. “The idea was to come out throwing to get some stuff established and get some work on it. So much happened in that first quarter. Now you turn around and you have the wind with you which is when you should be throwing. At that point we’re not trying to embarrass people and we’re not trying to run up the score. We do think if the score gets lopsided, you still play football in the first half. I don’t know that I’ve ever subscribed to taking knees in the first half.”

The Titans offense accumulated more than 300 yards of total offense in the first half, while holding the Wildcats offense to just 42 total yards and one first down.

The Titans added one more touchdown in the third quarter – a 38-yard rush by Bryant with 3:02 left. The entire second half was played with a running clock.

The Titans now enter the sub-region portion of their schedule and host Hart County on Friday night.

“It’s been great playing in front of our fans. It pumps us up,” Greene said. “It gets even tougher from here on out because we have Hart and Jefferson coming on up. We have to play hard like we have been.”

Hart County lost to Jefferson last Friday night.

“3-0 is good but now we are starting to get in the meat and potatoes with Hart,” Tuley said. “This south side is so tough, if you lose two you could be done. Hart becomes a very dangerous animal now because if they lose to us, that can ruin their playoff chances.”

Matthew Caldwell is sports editor of The Oconee Leader. He can be reached by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at (706) 310-1104.

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