Wildcats reach ninth-straight quarterfinal matchup

Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. RCHS senior Paul Picciotti reacts to his Wildcats making a defensive stop in the quarterfinals against Brooks County.

Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun County defensive line coach Eric Richeson consoles his linemen after the Wildcats lose to the Brooks County 39-13 in the Elite Eight of the state playoffs.

Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. Players, coaches and managers bow their heads in prayer as a team after Rabun County loses in the Class A Division I state quarterfinals to host Brooks County, 39-13 on Nov. 24. This would be the Wildcats’ ninth consecutive trip to the Elite Eight as hundreds of RCHS fans made the five-hour, 317-mile drive to Quitman. Brooks County and Swainsboro meet Friday for a spot in the state title game.

Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. Sophomore quarterback Ty Truelove escapes the pocket against Brooks County. Truelove had a rushing and passing touchdown in the Nov. 24 game in Quitman.

Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. Rabun County assistant coach Clay Worley rests his hands on the top of the heads of Reid Giles (15) and Noah English (4) who played on offense and defense for the Wildcats during the 2023 season. The Trojans would defeat the Wildcats 39-13 in the game to move on in the state playoffs.