Gainesville's playoff hopes brought to an end at Allatoona <b> (VIDEO) </b>

ACWORTH -- Even with the seconds running out on the campaign, Gainesville's football team did what it had done all season: believe.<br /> <br /> And the Red Elephants so nearly willed themselves to yet another big postseason win -- only to watch a late fumble and the Allatoona rushing attack combine to deny Gainesville in a 24-17 win for the Buccaneers in a Class AAAAA quarterfinal in Acworth.<br /> <br /> The Red Elephants jumped on Allatoona for a 17-7 first half lead and finished the with 350 yards of offense -- 240 through the air. But Allatoona rushed for 205 yards -- including nearly 100 yards each for standout running backs Joshua Bettistea (105 yards) and Russell Halimon (99 yards) to offset the Red Elephants' gains.<br /> <br /> "We just didn't make enough plays in the end," Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said. "Our guys battled their butts off and never gave up, but we just couldn't make enough plays."<br /> <br /> Gainesville (10-3) made plenty of big plays and moved as close as the Allatoona 16 inside the final minute -- only to watch a fourth-down conversion attempt end in heartbreak, as the Buccaneers (13-0) pounced on a fumbled option pitch to seal the outcome and keep Gainesville from a fourth straight state semifinal berth.<br /> <br /> "You're never satisfied unless you win the last game, but I'm so proud of these kids," said Miller, who watched Allatoona fumble four times but recover each one of their own drops. "What can you say? I knew they wouldn't beat themselves, and they made it tough on us. But all of our guys kept fighting."<br /> <br /> Chris Williamson provided plenty of Gainesville's big plays on the night, hauling in eight catches for two touchdowns and 196 of quarterback Mikey Gonzalez's 240 yards passing -- Gonzalez completed 15 of 21 attempts and finished the season with 3,180 yards passing in his one and only campaign as a starter. <br /> <br /> Mike Byrd also proved huge on Friday, rushing for 121 yards on 18 carries. <br /> <br /> All three players are seniors.<br /> <br /> "They were just so positive all season," Miller said. "They never listened to anyone outside the program who said they weren't supposed to win this much. And they were so close to another big one."<br /> <br /> Gainesville came out firing, as Gonzalez hooked up with Williamson for a 70-yard touchdown bomb on the second play from scrimmage. It was part of a big first half from Williamson, who hauled in five catches for 133 yards before the interval.<br /> <br /> Allatoona answered right back in the style that it was to employ the entire contest, churning its way for a 12-play scoring drive, Halimon surging three yards into the end zone with 5:07 left in the first quarter.<br /> <br /> The Red Elephants came up with another big play just seconds later, Toddrick Turner taking off on a 52-yard kickoff return to set up a 33-yard field goal from Chandler Staton. The kick made it 10-7 with 2:55 remaining in the quarter.<br /> <br /> Gainesville wasn't finished, however, and, after forcing a punt on Allatoona's next possession, the Red Elephants showed they could drive too. Piecing together 11 plays, Gainesville pushed ahead 17-7 on a 5-yard scoring strike from Gonzalez to Williamson.<br /> <br /> The Buccaneers refused to panic and went right back to their bread-and-butter, grinding out another 14-play drive. Allatoona converted a fourth-and-3 en route to a five-yard touchdown run from Joshua Bettistea to pull within 17-14 at the half.<br /> <br /> The Buccaneers continued to ride that momentum into the second half -- even though they had to scrap and claw for every inch.<br /> <br /> Allatoona knotted the score 17-17 on a 28-yard field goal from Skylar Davis, scoring on the opening possession of the third quarter. After an explosive first half, it proved a false down, however, as the two teams traded punts for the rest of the period.<br /> <br /> The standoff lasted into the fourth quarter, the two teams trading five punts -- until the Buccaneers gained traction in the fourth quarter. This time Allatoona ground out a 10-play drive, taking its first lead of the night on a 15-yard run from Bettistea, 24-17 with 3:14 remaining.<br /> <br /> Gainesville was not finished, however, and Williamson again came up huge, hauling in a 43-yard completion on third and 14 from the Gainesville 35 to give the Red Elephants first down at the Allatoona 23. The Red Elephants added another five yards, but the season would end there, as the Buccaneers forced a turnover on fourth and 5.<br /> <br /> "This group just persevered and were a great group to be a part of," Miller said.<br /> <br /> Gainesville wrapped the campaign with its seventh straight double-digit win total and reached the state quarterfinals for a fourth straight season. The Red Elephants will graduate 11 starters.<br /> <br /> <b> SCORING SUMMARY</b><br /> <b> GAINESVILLE</b>...10....7....0....0 -- 17<br /> <b> ALLATOONA</b>.......7....7....3....7 -- 24<br /> <br /> <b>First Quarter</b><br /> GHS -- Williamson 70 pass from Gonzalez (Staton kick) 11:16, 7-0<br /> AHS -- Halimon 3 run (Davis kick) 5:07, 7-7<br /> GHS -- Staton 33 field goal, 2:55, 10-7<br /> <br /> <b>Second Quarter</b><br /> GHS -- Williamson 5 pass from Gonzalez (Staton kick) 8:44, 17-7<br /> AHS -- Bettistea 5 run (Davis kick) 1:16, 17-14<br /> <br /> <b>Third Quarter</b><br /> AHS -- Davis 28 field goal, 7:00, 17-17<br /> <br /> <b>Fourth Quarter</b><br /> AHS -- Bettistea 15 run (Davis kick) 3:14, 17-24

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