Heartbreaker at Chris Gilman: Wildcats Fall 48–44 in Shootout with Ed White
Heartbreaker at Chris Gilman: Wildcats Fall 48–44 in Shootout with Ed White KINGSLAND, Ga.
Friday night at Chris Gilman Stadium had just about everything. Touchdowns. Turnovers. Big plays. Multiple lead changes. And a finish that came down to the final minute.Camden County and Ed White traded punches for four quarters in a wild back-and-forth shootout. The Wildcats took the lead in the final minutes, putting themselves on the doorstep of a dramatic home victory, but the Commanders delivered one final answer, scoring with less than a minute remaining to escape Chris Gilman Stadium with a 48–44 victory. For Camden, it was a heartbreaking ending to a night in which the Wildcats repeatedly found a way to answer.
A Shootout From the Start
It didn’t take long to realize points were going to come in bunches. Camden and Ed White traded scores and momentum throughout the opening half, with neither team able to create much separation. The lead changed hands multiple times as both offenses continued finding the end zone.
By halftime, 63 points were already on the scoreboard, with Ed White holding the narrowest of advantages, 32–31. The scoring slowed slightly after the break, but the back-and-forth battle didn’t.
Camden continued to answer as the game moved deeper into the second half, setting the stage for a fourth quarter in which every possession mattered.
In the final minutes, the Wildcats made their move.Camden found the end zone and took the lead late, sending Chris Gilman Stadium into a frenzy and putting the Wildcats within minutes of a dramatic home victory. But Ed White still had time.
The Commanders responded with one final scoring drive, finding the end zone with less than a minute remaining to retake the lead, 48–44. After answering all night, Camden was left with too little time to produce one more.
Six Touchdowns, Five Wildcats
Camden finished with 318 yards of total offense, including 151 rushing and 167 passing, and the Wildcats made their opportunities count. All six Camden touchdowns came on the ground, with five different Wildcats finding the end zone.
Jakavious Perkins led the scoring effort with two rushing touchdowns, carrying eight times for a team-high 46 yards. Malkhi Poole added a touchdown on 13 carries, while Quan Mercer, Jesse Newsome and Adryen Vigil each found the end zone as well.
It was a true committee effort from a Camden rushing attack that recorded 50 carries on the night.
Wildcats vs. Ed White
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The Wildcats were also extremely efficient through the air. Quarterback Xavier Collins completed 14 of 18 passes for 142 yards without throwing an interception. As a team, Camden finished 15-of-19 for 167 yards, completing nearly 79 percent of its passes.
Sean Green led the receiving corps with four catches for 61 yards, including a 30-yard reception. Elijah Rose added three catches for 34 yards, while Newsome hauled in a 25-yard reception. Camden didn’t need a passing touchdown Friday night. Once the Wildcats reached scoring territory, they repeatedly finished drives on the ground.
Wildcats Force Two Turnovers
In a game dominated by offense, Camden’s defense still created opportunities with a pair of interceptionsDemetrius Coleman intercepted an Ed White pass and returned it 25 yards, while Maliek Patterson recorded the Wildcats’ second interception and returned it five yards. Coleman also finished with 10 tackles, while Micah Jones led Camden with 11. Zy’on Nelson added 10 tackles, Patterson recorded seven, and Quan Mercer and Will Smith each finished with six.
When Ed White went to the air, Camden’s defense made the Commanders pay. Ed White quarterback King Boylston completed just 2 of 6 passes for 42 yards, with no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, however, Boylston presented a much different challenge. Boylston Leads Commanders’ Ground Attack Boylston was at the center of Ed White’s offense, rushing 19 times for 205 yards and four touchdowns.
His performance accounted for four of the Commanders’ six touchdowns and helped keep Ed White within striking distance every time Camden appeared ready to seize momentum.
It also created an interesting contrast between the two offenses. Both teams scored six rushing touchdowns, but Camden spread its six scores among five different players. Ed White leaned heavily on Boylston, who accounted for four himself.
Ultimately, the Commanders found enough answers to stay with the Wildcats until their final opportunity.
Every Point Mattered
In a four-point game where both teams scored six touchdowns, what happened after those scores mattered. Camden converted two extra points and three two-point conversions. Will Smith accounted for four conversion points, Collins added two, and Bryant Perkins finished 2-for-2 on PAT attempts.
The Wildcats also generated 90 kickoff-return yards, led by Mercer with 61 yards on four returns. Green added 18 yards on two returns, while Jones recorded an 11-yard return.
Camden finished the night with 414 all-purpose yards. But in a game where the teams combined for 92 points, the margin for error was almost nonexistent.
One Final Answer
For nearly four quarters, neither team could land the knockout blow.
Ed White scored. Camden answered.
Camden scored. Ed White answered.
Momentum swung from one sideline to the other throughout the night, and even after entering halftime trailing 32–31, the Wildcats continued battling until they put themselves in position to win.
Then came the final minutes.
Camden struck to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, putting the Wildcats within minutes of finishing off a wild night at Chris Gilman Stadium.Ed White had one possession left to answer.
The Commanders did. Their go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute remaining provided the final lead change of the night and ultimately the difference in a 48–44 final.
Camden finished with six touchdowns, five different touchdown scorers, two defensive interceptions and an efficient passing performance without throwing an interception.
But after trading punches all night, the Wildcats simply ran out of time to answer the last one. The loss moves Camden County to 3–2 on the season, but Friday night’s final score tells only part of the story.
Ninety-two points. Twelve touchdowns. Multiple lead changes. And a game decided in the final minute.
For Wildcat Nation, it was a heartbreaker at Chris Gilman.
