POOLER, Ga. – A moment of discouragement became Effingham County’s time for determination Friday night in Pooler Stadium.
The Rebels spent the night trying to shake upset-minded New Hampstead but couldn’t, and with less than eight minutes to go, suddenly found themselves playing catch-up.
“I didn’t feel like the game was slipping away, but when we came out at halftime, we just weren’t as locked in as we were in the first half,” said Rebels running back Jmere Doe-Davis.
But Doe-Davis and his teammates needed just seven plays to get back on track. He ran the last four plays, culminating with a 5-yard touchdown run, to complete a 61-yard drive with 3:56 left and give the Rebels a 23-20 victory.
“They’re not going to send (the game tape) to Canton or the Georgia High School Hall of Fame, but there’s a lot to be said when a group of kids come together and fight tooth and nail,” Rebels coach John Ford said.
Late drama
The Rebels (1-1) avenged a last-minute 47-44 heartbreaking loss to the Phoenix last season, but it wasn’t easy Friday as similar drama unfolded.
New Hampstead (0-3) scored on its first three drives of the second half and marched to ECHS’ 15-yard line with 22 seconds left before Phoenix quarterback Erik Hockman’s desperation pass fell incomplete on fourth down.
Two plays earlier, Hockman’s pass into the end zone was caught by his brother, Ben Hockman, but ruled out of bounds. On the next play, the Rebels were flagged for pass interference, giving a suddenly potent Phoenix offense one more opportunity.
“We had to maintain and not give up and give it all the energy we had,” Rebels defensive back Damir Hicks said. “Defense wins games and that’s what we did. We had to do what we had to do to win it.”
Quarterback shuffle
The Rebels started backup quarterback Kris Swinney, opting to give starter Tucker Perkins an extra week to heal a sprained ankle suffered in the season opener against Houston County. Perkins entered for one play in the second quarter when Swinney had to sit out after his helmet came off.
“We wanted to see how (Perkins) looked in warmups,” Ford said. “I know he wanted to play, but it’s my job to protect my players. I just felt another week would do him good.”
Rebel running back JR McKenzie scored on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter and Jackson Wilhoite’s point-after kick made it 7-0.
Phoenix rally
Ford said New Hampstead made defensive adjustments to stop the run in the second half. The Phoenix passing game, 3-for-15 for 19 yards in the first half, suddenly came alive.
Hockman was 12-of-24 for 148 yards after intermission as the game turned into a shootout.
NHHS’ Christian Kinlaw scored three touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving – and finished with 148 rushing yards on 22 carries plus seven catches for 97 yards.
The Phoenix recovered an onside kick to start the second half, and Kinlaw turned it into points with a 10-yard TD run to cut the lead to 7-6.
The Rebels answered with Swinney’s 1-yard scoring run on the next possession. On the point-after attempt, holder Noah Reese pulled down a high snap and weaved into the end zone for a two-point conversion and a 15-6 lead.
But the Phoenix’ ball-control attack kept grinding. Hockman connected with Kinlaw on a 12-yard TD pass to make it 15-12.
“The third quarter was a little wonky,” Ford said.
And the fourth quarter got wonkier. After a defensive stop, NHHS marched 83 yards on 18 plays – twice converting on fourth down – to take the lead on Kinlaw’s 1-yard scoring run with 7:50 left.
The Phoenix finished with a 72-41 edge in total plays and a 367-245 advantage in total yards.
Rebels respond
But the Rebels found a way to win. Doe-Davis rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries. Swinney ran six times for 58 yards and completed 4 of 7 passes for 45 yards. McKenzie added 52 yards on six carries.
Ford said he liked the resiliency he saw from his team.
“Courage, toughness, mental fortitude, especially on defense,” he said. “We have a young group and they competed and fought.”
