By Jeff Moeller/Special for the Effingham Herald
SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in 38 years, the Effingham County Rebels made it football “Title Town” in Springfield.
The Rebels claimed their first Class 6A Region 2 championship since 1995 when they edged defending champion Brunswick, 31-28, at the Griff last Friday night.
Junior Gage Brooks booted a 25-yard field goal as time ran out to lift Effingham to its sixth straight victory and left them with an overall 7-3 record and an unblemished 6-0 region record. The Rebels will host Lovejoy, a Class 6A Region 3 team, on Friday night.
The Rebels moved the ball down to the Brunswick nine-yard line with 22 seconds left in the game and let the clock wind down to 3.3 seconds before they called a time out. Even though the snap was momentarily juggled, Brooks had plenty on the ball as it sailed through the uprights without any time on the clock. He was immediately mobbed by his teammates.
“I was just praying that I could make it, and I wanted to have this moment for the team,” Brooks said. “I hit it pretty good, and I definitely felt good about it. I never have hit a winning kick. I think there is something magical with this team. We just kept battling all season.”
At one point, Effingham had a 21-7 lead and seemingly had control of the game, as they scored twice after two Brunswick fumbles in the first half.
A fumble on Brunswick’s first drive led to running back Jmere Doe-Davis’ 26-yard touchdown gallop and Jameaz Cope recovered a fumble in the end zone that was jarred loose by linebacker Zach Webb.
But Brunswick didn’t lose its composure and fought back to tie the game when Jamarious Townes shredded Effingham tacklers and broke free on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Grant Moore that tied the game at 28 with 3:31 remaining in the game.
Effingham turned the ball over on downs, but their defense held Brunswick on a fourth down from their 48-yard line with 1:34 left in the game.
Rebels’ quarterback Nate Hayes then hit running back AJ Butts out of the backfield for a 33-yard gain. Hayes followed with scrambles of eight and 19 yards that put Brooks in the position to win the game. Butts was helped off the field after the play, and he also had eight tackles in the game.
Hayes, who threw for 206 yards and ran for 57, cherished the moment, especially down the stretch.
“You have to win games like this,” he said. “The feeling right now is so surreal. I can’t imagine another group of guys to celebrate this with.
“I knew I had to keep my eyes on the clock, and we wanted to get into field-goal range. It wasn’t about getting a touchdown, just field-goal range. AJ Butts made a great play. It was a nail biter for sure, but we’re resilient. We never give up. We know who we are as a team.”
Head coach John Ford was confident his team could come back after a 1-3 start to the 2023 season.
“This is serendipity,” Ford said. “It’s from where we were to where we are. I’m grateful to God. You have to credit these kids and coaches for never giving up. These kids have worked hard every single day.
“Brunswick cut it loose in the fourth quarter and kept making adjustments, and it was a helpless feeling, but our kids battled their tails off.
“Nate showed us that he is a special player. I’m just hoping I can have a few more weeks with him. Butts is an awesome, tough, physical kid, and he made a big play at the end. Our kids fought hard for 48 minutes, and they deserve it.”
Ford didn’t have an injury update on Butts after the game, but he expects him to play Friday. Butts, a senior, recently committed to Mercer University for football.
