Tate edges Mosley

CANTONMENT - After last week's win over Milton, the Tate Aggies secured a playoff berth. On Friday night, after beating a tough Mosley team 31-25, Tate coach Ed Rigby feels like they just played in one.

"This game couldn't have been any more nerve-wracking, that's for sure," Rigby said. "We knew they were good with that power running game; we expected a tough fight."

The Dolphins' running attack was exactly what Rigby had anticpated. Mosley running back Triston McCathern was most of Mosley's offense, scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receving) and ran for 107 yards on 11 carries. But it was a key fumble before halftime that swung the momentum in Tate's favor.

"We got off to a bad start," Mosley coach Perry Brown said. "He ran hard."

Mosley fullback Justin Broxton went out in the second half and didn't return.

"He was getting some pretty good yardage in the first half," Brown said.

After Tate quarterback Edwin Richburg hooked up with Luchez Purifoy for a 62-yard touchdown to give the Aggies the lead 21-17, Mosley fumbled on the next play on Tate's 39-yard line. Four plays later, Purifoy punched it in from the 2-yard line as time expired to give the Aggies a 28-17 halftime lead.

After giving up 17 points in the first half, Tate's defense did what it has done all year - bend but not break.

Giving up a touchdown after Mosley recovered an onside kick to begin the second half, the Aggies did not give up another point and took the Dolphins out of their game plan.

"We came out strong the first two quarters," said Richburg, who completed passes to eight receivers. "In the second half, we knew they were going to be fired up, but we expected that, and we came out fired up, too."

Tate's junior quarterback found his rhythm in the past two weeks, and has the Aggies offense on a roll going into next week's playoff matchup against the No. 1 seed in Division 2-4A, Fort Walton Beach.

Richburg, after throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns in the playoff-clinching game against Milton, went 11 of 20 for 195 yards and a touchdown against Mosley. Richburg also scored on the ground, running for a total of 81 yards on nine carries.

"They had a good mix of their run game and the pass," Brown said. "Their quarterback had some pretty good speed. They had some big gains with their quarterback running it. Of course, they had some drives in the second half when we were able to stop them. Had a few three and outs."

Mosley (6-4) blitzed linebackers and brought pressure the entire game, but Richburg looked calm and made plays when Tate needed them.

"I think we just got off to a slow start," Brown said. "We dug that hole. They got 28 in the first half and we were only 10 away, and we came back and got eight of it. Had a few penalities in some crucial times.
"We had a good year."

Richburg knows the mental mistakes were a big part on why Tate (4-6, 1-1) lost close games earlier in the year.

"Our confidence is real good right now (after winning two in a row)," said Richburg. "We feel like nobody can beat us unless we play ourselves."