CEDAR BLUFF – Cedar Bluff football coach Alan Beckett knew the Tigers’ first-round Class 1A state football playoff game against Woodland wasn’t going to be the typical 1-versus-4 opening matchup. He knew the Bobcats were a better team than their 3-7 record indicated.

His intuition proved correct.

Woodland junior running back Parker Woodham ran for 248 yards on 41 carries and scored three touchdowns in leading the Bobcats to a 28-20 victory at L.D. Bruce Field on Friday, ending the Tigers’ season at 6-5.

“It’s a horrible way to end the year,” Beckett said. “We felt like we had some good matchups. We had some really good strengths, but I felt like we had some people who it was going to take a minute or two to get there. Number 30 (Woodham) is really good, and they had a good game plan. Their line was good. They just kept running the same plays over and over. It was nothing we hadn’t shown (on film). They just did a good job of pushing us off the ball.”

Woodland (4-7) was without its head coach Blair Armstrong because of back problems. His son, Jason Armstrong, served as the Bobcats’ interim coach on Friday and they didn’t miss a beat.

“The kids showed up this week at practice,” Jason Armstrong said. “It’s probably the most focused they’ve been. They understood we had postseason bid and we run with it. These kids don’t quit. They work hard. It’s a big senior class, and this is big for our kids.”

The Bobcats jumped out to a two-score lead on the Tigers less than four minutes into the game, which the younger Armstrong said was crucial.

“In past games we haven’t had such a fast start. I think we needed that, but I think we still kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit,” he said.

After Cedar Bluff forced a punt on the Bobcats’ opening possession, Bucky Leek lost the football on the return, which was recovered by Woodland at the Tiger 29-yard line. Junior quarterback Jackson Lovvorn scored two plays later on a 20-yard run to put the Bobcats in front 7-0.

On Cedar Bluff’s ensuing possession, senior quarterback Jacob Burleson’s first pass attempt was picked off by the Bobcats’ Christopher Butler. Butler returned the ball down to the Tiger 14. Three plays later, Woodham scored his first touchdown on a 9-yard carry, pushing Woodland’s lead to 14-0.

But the Tigers bounced back later in the first quarter, as Burleson picked off a Lovvorn pass to end a Bobcat drive inside Cedar Bluff’s 25-yard line.

Burleson connected with Bucky Leek on a 75-yard touchdown pass. Nick Clifton’s extra point pulled the Tigers within a touchdown at 14-7.

However, the Bobcats went back up two scores at 21-7 just before the first quarter ended on a Woodham 45-yard run.

Dylan Kinard recovered a Woodland fumble in the second quarter which led to another long Burleson touchdown toss. This one went for 57 yards to Kade Browning, and it helped Cedar Bluff close its deficit back down to a touchdown at 21-14.

Burleson finished the game completing 5-of-14 pass attempts for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Browning was his top target with three catches for 101 yards and a score.

Burleson came up big again on the defensive end, picking off Lovvorn a second time on the Bobcats’ ensuing possession. Five plays later, Preston Burt lined up in the Wildcat formation and scored on a 2-yard run. The extra point was botched, keeping Woodland in front 21-20 at halftime.

“We went in (at halftime) and got some things fixed,” Jason Armstrong said. “They were very calm. They were quick to tell me ‘Coach, we’re good. We’re focused like we need to be.’ For them to be mature and come back out here and do what they did I thought was great.”

Cedar Bluff got another big play to open the second half on Leek’s return deep inside Bobcat territory, but a penalty negated the return and pushed the ball back to Cedar Bluff’s own 31.

Disaster struck the Tigers again when Clifton fumbled on the first play of the drive, which Woodland recovered at the 37. The Tiger defense stiffened, stopping Woodham for a 9-yard loss on a second down play. Two plays later, the Bobcats punted.

After both teams traded punts, Woodham was able to find the end zone a third time on a 1-yard run with 42 seconds remaining in the third. The score put the Bobcats up 28-20.

Woodland forced another Tiger turnover to open the fourth quarter. A Burleson fumble was recovered by the Bobcats’ Justis Herring at the Cedar Bluff 33. However, Woodland couldn’t put the game away as it gave the ball back on a fumble which was recovered by the Tigers’ Austin Richardson at the Tiger 37.

Cedar Bluff appeared as if it would score after marching the distance in 10 plays, setting up a third-and-goal at the 2. Burt was in the Wildcat formation again, but this time, the Bobcats stopped him short of the goal line and forced a fumble which was recovered by Tate Bradford with 3:29 remaining.

“We got the ball down inside the 5, and I’m kind of kicking myself on the call, but I felt like we were there with a situation to put the game into overtime,” Beckett said. “We had a drive we needed right there at the end, but we just didn’t close it out.”

A heavy dose of Woodham helped Woodland run out the clock and end the Tigers’ season.

“It’s a tough one,” Beckett said. “We just hate that ended this way. I guess we’ll back away and look at the region title, but we don’t feel good right now. It’s a bad way to end. We’re going to hurt for a little bit.”

Woodland hosts Meek in the second round next week. Meek was a 52-20 winner over R.A. Hubbard in other first-round playoff action on Friday.