CEDAR BLUFF – Cedar Bluff senior running back/defensive end Preston Burt was bestowed the honor of presenting new head coach Alan Beckett his first game ball following his first win as a Tiger, but Valley Head sure made them earn that special moment at L.D. Bruce Field.

It wasn’t until an Eian Bain fourth-down pass was intercepted by Bucky Leek with 46 seconds remaining that the home Tigers could breathe a sigh of relief in a 33-26 victory over their Class 1A, Region 7 rivals.

No matter how hard Cedar Bluff tried, it could never shake the visiting Tigers. They just outlasted them, but that’s just fine by Beckett.

“I was proud,” he said. “It was back and forth, but we just kept playing. This is 1A football, where you don’t come off the field much. You just keep doing it. Our guys were resilient.

“I thought we imposed our will in the second half. They were physical and they brought it, but I was proud of us in the second half for not going in the tank. It was the first time I saw this kind of leadership out of us.”

Burt said Cedar Bluff had been working every day since its Week 1 40-0 loss at Spring Garden to ensure that wouldn’t happen again.

“It all turned out good in the end,” Burt said. “Coach talks to us about adversity all the time, and we dealt with it. We came back in the end and sealed the deal.”

Much like last year’s game at Valley Head, the two teams traded blows. But this time the result was different.

After a scoreless first quarter, Cedar Bluff finally got on the board on Burt’s 5-yard touchdown run. Nick Clifton’s point after made it 7-0 for the home Tigers.

But 12 seconds later, Valley Head struck on the ensuing kickoff.

Ashton Brown dashed 85 yards for the score, but a missed extra point kept Cedar Bluff in front 7-6 with just under 11 minutes to go in the first half.

Valley Head took the lead after a Cedar Bluff punt on Bain’s 17-yard touchdown run. Bain’s pass for the 2-point conversion fell incomplete, keeping the score at 12-7.

Cedar Bluff took the opening kickoff of the second half and regained the lead on a 9-play, 58-yard drive. Burt scored again to cap the drive, this time from 2 yards out. Clifton’s extra point was blocked, but Cedar Bluff was back out in front at 13-12 with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter.

The home team appeared as if it might pull away following a Valley Head punt. Cedar Bluff scored again, this time on Clifton’s 15-yard touchdown run. Senior quarterback Jacob Burleson ran in for the 2-point conversion, and with 3:18 to go in the third, Cedar Bluff had extended its lead to 21-12.

Valley Head struck quickly to trim its deficit to 21-18 on Bain’s 60-yard touchdown run. The PAT failed.

Once again, Cedar Bluff scored on its ensuing possession. This time Burleson connected with Leek on a 24-yard scoring strike. Clifton’s extra point was no good, but the home Tigers held a 27-18 edge with 8:29 remaining in the game.

Cedar Bluff’s defense came up with a fourth-down stop inside its own territory with 5:31 to go, but the Tiger offense couldn’t get anything going and was forced to punt.

It took just two plays for Valley Head to make things interesting again. A Bain-to-Ashton Brown 37-yard touchdown pass, followed by Bain’s 2-point conversion run, cut Cedar Bluff’s lead to one at 27-26 with 2:45 remaining.

After Dylan Kinard recovered an on-side kick, it appeared as if Cedar Bluff might run out the clock. However, Burleson found himself wide open on a run up the field. He followed his blockers and scored on a 70-yard burst. Burt’s run on the 2-point conversion was stopped short, keeping the score at 33-26 with 2:29 left on the clock.

“I saw the end zone, so I just had to get to it,” Burleson said. “There was a big hole. Up front, our guys did a really good job tonight. I’m proud of them. Without them we couldn’t do anything tonight.”

Valley Head had one last shot. Following a Cedar Bluff 15-yard penalty, the visiting Tigers were in great field position following the kickoff at the Cedar Bluff 43. Valley Head reached as far as the 30, but a 5-yard penalty and three straight Bain incomplete passes put the visiting Tigers into a fourth-and-long situation.

That’s when Leek sealed the game with his interception at the 11-yard line with 46 seconds remaining.

“We knew he was going to throw it,” Leek said. “I sat back about 10 yards off. I watched the quarterback’s eyes and got it.”

And it got Beckett an ice bath and his first win at Cedar Bluff.

“It’s great,” Beckett said. “I want to be here and I’m proud to be here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here. It’s always a great day to be at Cedar Bluff.”

Bain led all rushers with 139 yards and two scores on 19 carries. He also threw a touchdown pass.

Leek led Cedar Bluff with 95 yards on 16 carries. He also had three receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Burleson ran for 81 yards on 23 totes. He also completed 4-of-13 pass attempts for 114 yards and the touchdown to Leek.

“It felt good to come back home and give our fans a win,” Burleson said. “This gets our momentum rolling. We’re looking ahead with a positive attitude.”