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SCHS crowns '06 queen and
wins wild Homecoming game
wins wild Homecoming game
By RICHARD HARRIS
(From the October 11, 2006 issue)
The huge crowd inside Wildcat Stadium for Schley County High’s Homecoming game last Friday against Pacelli sure got their “money’s worth” out of the price of admission, as they witnessed a wild game in which the home team came out on top in overtime (28-26).
Pacelli scored a touchdown to tie the score at 20-20 with just 1:20 left to play. An extra point would have likely won the game for the visitors, but the Wildcat’s Dexter Wall blocked the kick and the contest soon went into overtime.
In high school football for overtime each team gets a possession starting at the other
The Wildcats faced a crucial fourth-and-six play, but quarterback Deondrick Pina ran the ball to the
Pacelli then took possession of the ball at the Wildcats’ 15-yard line, needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to force another tie. They got the touchdown, but narrowly missed the conversion (with a receiver catching a pass at the 1-yard line).
“It was an exciting game and a big win for us, but we still have a long way to go,” said Head Coach Jim McFather. “Our kids are excited, but we still need to keep plugging along and getting better.”
The Wildcats improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 2-A with the win, while Pacelli fell to 2-3 (1-1).
Coach McFather knew his Wildcats would be improved for the 2006 season. Prior to the first game he noted that their goal was to post the school’s first-ever winning season and possibly finish high enough in the region to “slip into a playoff spot.”
Now, they need just one more win to assure at least a 6-4 record and the rest of the teams on their schedule may be hoping to just be able to “slip” past them. The Wildcats’ 5-0 run has captured the attention of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which now has them listed as the No. 10 ranked Class A team in the state. Upon hearing the news, Coach McFather laughed and said that while it’s flattering, he doesn’t think they’ve done enough to earn a ranking just yet.
“I guess it’s nice to get some recognition, but we’re a long way from being a No. 10 ranked team,” he said. “It’s nice to know that somebody thinks we’re there, but we still have a long way to go.”
Game Summary
* Pacelli seemed poised to take an early lead, driving to the Schley County 35-yard line after the opening kickoff, but the Wildcat defense stiffened and stopped them short on a fourth down attempt.
* A couple of plays later, Schley’s Charvis Mann broke free for a 45-yard touchdown run for the first score of the game (6-0).
* The teams then both had decent drives, which stalled on fourth down.
* Late in the first half, Schley got the ball back on its own 40-yard line after a fumble. Then with just 18 seconds left on the clock, quarterback Deondrick Pina connected with receiver Dustin Kirby for a 40-yard touchdown pass. They then converted the two-point play to make it 14-0.
* Pacelli scored to make it 14-7 in the third quarter.
* Later in the third quarter, Schley’s Charvis Mann picked off a pass and raced 64 yards for a touchdown (20-7).
* Pacelli rallied for two touchdowns in the final period to tie the game at 20-20 and force overtime.
* Both teams scored in overtime, but Pacelli failed to convert after its score (28-26).
Up Next
The Wildcats will travel to Butler this Friday, Oct. 13 to play Taylor County, before returning home on Oct. 20 to face Greenville. They will then play at Brookstone (Nov. 3) and end the regular season by hosting Chattahoochee County (Nov. 10).