COMMERCE, Ga. — To no one’s surprise, it was another instant classic for Commerce and Rabun County.
In a game with nine lead changes, Commerce took a 42-38 win over the Wildcats Friday night in Region 8-A D1 play at Ray Lamb Stadium.
Fans have come to expect a thriller when these teams play. The previous two meetings were both decided by less than a touchdown. Commerce won 23-17 with a defensive stop in OT in 2023, and the Wildcats took a 27-22 win in 2022.
The back-and-forth contest was decided by Commerce’s methodical drive, which ate up the final 8:37 of the game. The Tigers took over on their 37 and used their punishing running game to keep the ball away from the Wildcats and keep themselves in the region championship race.
The Tigers (4-3, 2-1 Region 8-A D1) converted three fourth downs to keep the drive alive. On the final drive, they rode the tough inside running of fullback Tysean Wiggins. He converted two of the fourth downs with runs of 11 and 3 yards.
Wiggins finished with a career-high 254 yards on 34 carries and scored three touchdowns. Quarterback Jaiden Daniels ran for 217 yards on 12 carries as the Tigers totaled 492 yards rushing.
Reid Giles led the Wildcats with 230 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also caught a 41-yard scoring pass and ran a kickoff back 85 yards for his fourth score.
Rabun junior quarterback Ty Truelove saw his first game action since the season opener against White County. He suffered a shoulder bone bruise in that game.
Truelove completed 8-of-11 passes for 104 yards and one score. He ran for 66 yards.
Rabun (5-2, 2-1 Region 8-A D1) led 24-21 at the half. Commerce stopped the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half on linebacker Caden McWilliams' sack of Truelove. On the Tigers’ first play, Wiggins scored on a 75-yard run to put the Tigers ahead.
Rabun regained the lead 31-28 in just 15 seconds on Giles’ 85-yard kickoff return. Commerce retook the lead 35-31 with a 64-yard drive that ended with Daniels’ 31-yard touchdown run.
Commerce’s defense got a critical stop on the Wildcats’ next possession. Linebacker Caden Graddy and safety Jacari Huff teamed up to stop Giles short of a first down, forcing the Wildcats to punt.
Wiggins scored his third touchdown of the night on a 14-yard run for a 42-31 lead with 9:32 to play. But Rabun responded in just 48 seconds on Giles’ 52-yard TD run, cutting the lead to four points.
Then Wiggins and the Tigers never let the Wildcats get the ball back.
