5th Annual OTBCS Game Updates - THE GRAND FINALS!!!!

[EagerBeaver]

Cedar Ridge had to fight back from a sudden deficit in a wild game in which they had led throughout, yet suddenly found themselves down in the third quarter.

CR staked itself to a 17-0 halftime lead over Divine Order, but saw that evaporate on a quick touchdown pass, a blocked punt for a TD, a safety and a 89-yard pass.

Facing a 22-17 deficit and fourth down on their own 46, Ron Hamm elected to go for it with 2:44 to play, and it paid off. Danny Page ran 42 yards, then on first down Hamm found Barkey Bryant for the go-ahead score.

Apostle Jerry Lee Anderson willed his team to the 14-yard line of CRC in the waning minutes but fumbled untouched, leading to a Shane Queener recovery and allowing CRC to run out the clock.

24-22 was the final score, Cedar Ridge is now halfway to the title game.

CEDAR RIDGE CHURCH 2 - 0 TCOG IN DIVINE ORDER

[EagerBeaver]

TCOG NORTH CAROLINA PUMMELS TCOG NABORS IN GAME 2

The Church of God North Carolina continued their scintillating comeback from an 0-4 start to the OTBCS round robin campaign with a 34-14 victory that puts them in the driver's seat en route to the OTBCS Grand Final.

TCOG North Carolina faced an early 7-3 deficit, but with timely decisions at quarterback from David Myers and inspired running by John Wilkins, they built a 34-7 lead, never to look back.

Game 3 in both series tomorrow will be played at 9 PM CST.

TCOG NABORS 0 - 2 TCOG NORTH CAROLINA

[Ilovebigcats]

WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EagerBeaver]

10:06 AM CST, July 29 - So to recap the first two games of the OTBCS Semifinals...

Team capsules
Cedar Ridge Church has jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over TCOG In Divine Order, winning the first game 34-19 and somehow pulling it out in the second, 24-22. Ron Hamm has returned as QB for the team and is playing well with 375 passing yards, and Danny Page has locked it down at running back with 140 yards in the two games of the series and one touchdown. Team defense has been great, forcing three turnovers in each of the first two games.

TCOG In Divine Order is looking desperately for a win in Game 3. In OTBCS history, no team to go down 3-0 has ever won a series, much less forced a Game 7. Apostle Jerry Lee Anderson has been doing okay, but costly turnovers and too much focus on his revival ministry and Jerry Lee Lewis-style rockabilly worship has this team walking a tightrope.

TCOG North Carolina is the surprise of the entire tournament. Ever since John Wilkins ordered David Myers to stop throwing then-running back Hillard Foster under the bus and take some blame for the team's woes, they've played some great turnover-free football. They slogged out a 9-5 win in Game 1 of their series against TCOG Nabors, and followed it up with a 34-14 pounding.

TCOG Nabors needs some major help. They had every opportunity to win Game 1 but fumbled them all away...and they never showed up for Game 2. Not a good sign for a team looking to make their first OTBCS Finals. Jerry Wilda has all but disappeared after being the league's third-best running back this year, and James Nabors has had to shoulder more of the burden as a result. They need to bounce back quickly.

Other notes
If Cedar Ridge and TCOG North Carolina meet in the finals, it will be very interesting for Danny Page...he would be facing off against the team he was a member of in the inaugural OTBCS year.

TCOG Nabors has promised every one of its congregations the ability to watch the OTBCS Grand Finals via closed circuit TV at each of their churches if they make it there, thus increasing OTBCS viewership by 50 people in total.

TCOG Carter's clan has held a secret meeting at Madison Middle School in Richmond, KY. Sound familiar? Yeesh.

COGOP is very disappointed that they did not go farther in the playoffs this year, but factor in that they have not won the OTBCS in an even-numbered year, and it's all good.

[EagerBeaver]

BREAKING NEWS - 11:08 AM CST

Hensley retires TCOG With Signs Following from future OTBCS competitions
by CEDRIC SEBULBA
Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Tennessee (AP) -- With tears in his eyes and his family standing around him, George Hensley announced today that The Church of God With Signs Following will hang it up after five years in the One True Bride Championship Series.

"The game of football is taking a toll on my heavenly body," said Hensley, who died in 1955 of a fatal snake bite but still manages to revive each year for the OTBCS. "Now it's time for me to return to the earth for good."

TCOG With Signs Following attracted a few fans, mountain men and women from the hills of Alabama and Tennessee. When the OTBCS forbade Signs Following fans from bringing snakes to the competitions, they became famous for bringing stuffed rattlers and drawing photos to intimidate other teams and their fans.

The team had its share of success -- in 2006 the team went to the OTBCS Grand Final, where it lost in six games to TCOG In Divine Order. They made the playoffs every year they participated.

Hensley keeled over and was respectfully transported to his gravesite shortly after the press conference. The Church of God with Stephen Smith as overseer, and featuring Jude 2's own Kevin Fearer, returns to the field in 2009.

[EagerBeaver]

TCOG IN DIVINE ORDER ISN'T GOING QUIETLY

Divine Order held on for a 17-14 win over Cedar Ridge church in a game that featured a ton of offense, and sloppy ball-handling down in the red zone.

For Divine Order, Apostle Jerry Lee Anderson threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and for Cedar Ridge, Danny Page ran for 67 yards and a TD.

The game was in essence a must-win for TCOGIDO as no team has ever come down from a 3-0 deficit to even force a Game 7 in a series.

CEDAR RIDGE CHURCH 2 - 1 TCOG IN DIVINE ORDER

[EagerBeaver]

TCOG NABORS ALSO WINS; BOTH SERIES STAND AT 2-1

TCOG Nabors won today to make their series a little bit more competitive as well, taking out TCOG North Carolina 20-10.

Both teams amassed similar yardage -- Nabors' 250 to NC's 233 -- but Nabors' bunch grabbed two crucial interceptions late to seal the win.

TCOG NABORS 1 - 2 TCOG NORTH CAROLINA

[PastorDaniel]

The COGOP is already out....sounds rigged!! I protest...start an investigation!!! I think some of those other teams are using performance enhancing drugs!!

[EagerBeaver]

I think the only performance enhancing drugs have been Evening Light issues under the pillow...

GAME 4 COMMENCING

[EagerBeaver]

SHOCK LAST-SECOND FIELD GOAL LIFTS CEDAR RIDGE TO COMMANDING SERIES LEAD

Cedar Ridge got a 42-yard field goal from Shane Queener as time expired to lift their team to a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven OTBCS Semifinal against TCOG In Divine Order.

Facing a 12-10 deficit, Ron Hamm marched the troops 56 yards down the field in one minute after an Evangelist Glynn Baker punt. Queener then hit the field goal straight on to send the CRC crowd into a frenzy...and more importantly, one game away from the OTBCS Grand Finals.

Hamm threw for 182 yards and a touchdown, while Danny Page bullrushed for 112 yards. For Divine Order, Apostle Jerry Lee Anderson tossed for 139 yards and a touchdown.

CEDAR RIDGE CHURCH 3 - 1 TCOG IN DIVINE ORDER

[EagerBeaver]

SUDDENLY, IT'S A SERIES - TCOG NABORS LABORS TO PULL EVEN


What looked like a sure-fire TCOG North Carolina runaway has now become a fierce dogfight after a 21-17 win by TCOG Nabors.

Both teams played very sloppy football for the second straight night, and it just so happened that Nabors' team came out on top. Jerry Wilda intercepted a David Myers pass with one minute left to end NC's scoring attempt.

With the victory, this series is tied at two apiece and is the de facto one to monitor.

TCOG NABORS 2 - 2 TCOG NORTH CAROLINA

[EagerBeaver]

CEDAR RIDGE PUNCHES TICKET TO THE OTBCS GRAND FINALS


With a 35-23 win today over TCOG In Divine Order, Cedar Ridge Church has ADVANCED to the OTBCS Grand Finals in just their first season of existence.

Danny Page ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns as CRC took the game over in the second half and made a 20-7 deficit history.

Divine Order now packs their bags to go back home to Sand Springs, Oklahoma -- and Cedar Ridge can now take a couple games off and await the winner of the TCOG Nabors/North Carolina series.

CEDAR RIDGE CHURCH 4 - 1 TCOG IN DIVINE ORDER

CEDAR RIDGE WINS SERIES AND ADVANCES

[EagerBeaver]

TCOG NABORS KICKS LATE FIELD GOAL TO BRING THEM ONE WIN AWAY

TCOG Nabors seized the lead of their series with TCOG North Carolina by virtue of a late field goal in a 13-10 defensive battle.

No official game stats were available by press time, but our statistics show 162 pass yards from James Nabors and over 100 from Jerry Wilda.

If TCOG Nabors wins tomorrow, they're Grand Finals-bound.

TCOG NABORS 3 - 2 TCOG NORTH CAROLINA

[EagerBeaver]

GRAND FINALS ARE SET; TCOG NABORS WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT GAME FOR THEIR TICKET

TCOG Nabors completed a stunning comeback in the OTBCS Semifinals against the seventh-seeded TCOG North Carolina team, defeating them 35-24 in Game 6. The win punched TCOGN's ticket to the Grand Finals and ensured that there will be no Game 7.

It is Nabors' first trip to the Grand Finals, where the team will face Cedar Ridge Church in Game 1 at University of Chattanooga Stadium tomorrow night. For TCOGNC, the fourth straight loss of the series ended their bid to complete a wondrous comeback from a disaster of an early season.

In the game, TCOG North Carolina could not hold a 24-21 fourth-quarter lead as a field goal attempt by David Myers fell short -- into the hands of James Nabors who returned it 103 yards for a touchdown. TCOGN never looked back from there, winning and setting off a celebration for a team who is making its first ever appearance in the Grand Finals.

Cedar Ridge is making its first appearance as well, the 3rd time in the OTBCS' five seasons that two teams are in the Finals for the first time.

Game 1 begins tomorrow night with demonstrations of the Spirit at 9 PM CST. COGOP's Bahama Brass Band will play "He Set Me Free" in a show of goodwill and solidarity to the Body of Christ, and each team will send a representative to midfield for the coin flip and commence the pregame prayer.

TCOG NABORS 4 - 2 TCOG NORTH CAROLINA

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GAME 1 OF THE GRAND FINALS TOMORROW

CEDAR RIDGE vs. TCOG NABORS

ALL OR NOTHING, BEST FOUR OUT OF SEVEN WINS THE TITLE OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

[Dr. Ron]

Cedar Ridge is proud to be participating in this year's competition.

To have come this far this fast is a miracle. However, we owe a lot to the team effort and to the outstanding play of Danny. He is a seasoned vet who can just do it all! He is looking like our MVP....no matter what happens.

It is somewhat fitting that we would match up against Nabors. I was his counselor in youth camp when he was a kid. I knew he was destined for "greatness" even then.

We look forward to a great series.........and divine intervention.......to WIN!!!!!! If God be for us , who can be against us!!!!!!

Thank you Bev, for all your hard work. I have listened to the play by play and love what you do. Your totally "unbiased" position on this is appreciated.

May the best team win............the name on the trophy is spelled Cedar Ridge Church.......