DIERKS – The Murfreesboro Rattlers and Mount Ida Lions will share the 7-2A conference title after the Rattlers pulled out a 26-20 upset of the Dierks Outlaws Thursday night during a thriller in The Holler.
The MI Lions will enter the playoffs as the top seed with the Rattlers the second seed, Foreman third and the Outlaws fourth. The Lions, Rattlers and Lions will all open the playoffs at home while the Outlaws will hit the road next Friday night. (The playoff bracket has yet to be completely determined due to more regular season games to be played tonight – Nov. 4.)
If the Rattlers and Outlaws open the playoffs with wins, they will face each other again the following week on Holloway Field at Rattler Stadium, according to the Rattler coaching staff.
Thursday night, the Rattlers shutout the Outlaws for three straight quarters before the home team finally lit up the scoreboard. The Outlaws were poised to put the game away when they fumbled the ball away to the Rattlers, but the Rattlers fumbled the ball right back to the Outlaws with 2:32 left in the game to set up a Dierks score that put them up 20-18 with 1:03 left in the game.
After a big kick return, the Rattlers took over at the Dierks 39 with 52 ticks left on the game clock. The Outlaw defense again appeared to be prepared to put the game in the win column when the Rattlers resorted to some last-second trickery.
Rattler quarterback Ryan Roberts moved to the left and then pitched back to back-up QB J.C. Motley, who was going left and launched a “Hail Mary” pass into the pack of players that included several blue-shirted Outlaws gathered near the goal line. The pass was tipped up and into the hands of Rattler receiver Troy Stone near the one-yard line and the senior took a few steps to secure the win with :01 left on the clock.
Read more about the Rattler-Outlaw game and the playoff pictured in next week’s Nashville News-Leader and Murfreesboro Diamond.
