Late flag stops Wildcat sectional comeback
October 25, 2022 at 7:41 p.m.
A yellow hanky flew at the most inopportune time Friday night, canceling what surely would have been a winning 2-point conversion for the Franklin County Wildcats over visiting Indian Creek in Sectional 31 action.
The Cats had just completed a 13-play, 59-yard drive with senior Peyton McCreary's 10-yard touchdown run bringing FC within one point at 37-36 with 1:39 left on the clock. After an FC timeout, sophomore quarterback Quinn Gillman evidently connected with senior Brady Morehead for the go-ahead points. But offensive pass interference was called, moving the hosts back 15 yards for a second attempt. Gillman's pass to Morehead in the middle of the end zone fell incomplete.
“We had a great play called against man coverage – a flat/slant concept, or rub route, where two receivers cross very closely by each other so the defensive backs must fight through or run around the routes – and our kids executed well,” said FC head coach Wes Gillman.
“Our outside receiver, Blake Stephenson, got pushed by his guy into Brady's man,” he added. “The ref saw it as a pick. That penalty's never called (on Sunday). It takes the outcome of the game away from the kids … it's a shame.”
The play might not have been so pivotal had the Wildcat defense gotten off the field on the prior possession when the Braves went 96 yards to go up seven.
“We did a lot of things right on that drive, our kids played hard and well,” said Gillman. “Their QB just made two great throws.”
One came on 3rd-and-12 from the Braves' 4-yard line, with 6'4” lefty Arj Lothe finding Lance Butler for 31 yards. Jalen Sauer then rushed for 17 yards across midfield. IC later had 4th-and-7 from FC's 16 following an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. Lothe then squeezed a pass into coverage to Gerson Coroa for the go-ahead score. A sweep pass to Coroa made it 37-30.
Unfazed, FC marched downfield with first downs picked up by Morehead and sophomore Jack Seals. On a 4th-and-5 play, Gillman found Morehead for seven yards to stay alive. The two hooked up again on a 13-yard pass play that converted a 4th-and-4. McCreary capped the drive.
“These last two weeks have been phenomenal in terms of execution and level of play,” said the coach. “Things were falling into place.”
This was apparent during a 14-0 run early in the second half that turned a 21-16 halftime deficit into a 30-21 lead.
Two snaps into the new half, Gillman lofted one toward the left sideline to Morehead; the latter gathered it in and did the rest of the work on a 64-yard TD. A failed conversion put FC up 22-21.
Three Lothe incompletions forced a 3-and-out. Though he passed for 285 yards, the southpaw hit on fewer than 50% of his tosses.
“We haven't seen a QB that accurate all season long,” Gillman praised, while acknowledging the 16-of-33 result. “Our DBs, for the most part, were in the right position all night. We had a few blown coverages but you're not going to be perfect. (A couple times) he put the ball in the only place his receiver could catch it.”
A 39-yard run by Morehead got FC to the Braves' 28 on the ensuing drive. Gillman then spotted Stephenson for a 19-yard pickup for 1st-and-goal. On 3rd-and-11, IC was called for pass interference in the end zone, moving the ball halfway to the goal line. Gillman went back to Stephenson for a pass just shy of a TD. On 4th-and-goal, Morehead dove in for a 1-yard score. A run by Gillman made it a 9-point game.
IC answered by going 57 yards on eight plays. Lothe hit Jaxon Ramey for a total of 19 yards. On a 3rd-and-10, he found Butler for 15. Sauer then carried for 15 more to give the Braves 1st-and-goal. Sauer hauled the next two as well, going in from a yard out. Ramey caught the 2-pointer to cut it to 30-29. FC's next drive stalled at the Braves' 6.
The guests opened the night with a 6-play, 52-yard scoring drive. After a 19-yard pass to Coroa converted a 4th-and-5, Levi Pappas ran it in from 9 yards away. Pappas ran in the conversion to make it 8-0 with only 75 seconds elapsed. The Cats then turned it over on downs at IC's 16 ahead of a Brave punt.
FC also punted and the Braves were threatening to go up two scores. A 21-yard pass to Coroa set them up at FC's 2. A play later, Morehead riled up the hometown crowd by returning a fumble 98 yards for a TD. Gillman's run tied it at 8-8.
IC then went 56 yards on just four plays. A 24-yard pass to Ramey put the ball at the 8, where Pappas scored again. The extra point made it 15-8.
The Cats responded well, going 71 yards on six plays. Gillman broke off a 35-yard run, Morehead added ones of 14 and 11 and Gillman rushed in from five yards out. A pass to Stephenson sent FC ahead by one.
The scoring party continued with the Braves moving quickly into the red zone after a 34-yard pass to Ramey. On 3rd-and-inches, Pappas scored his third TD. IC then regained possession after the kickoff bounded off a Wildcat special teamer. FC was able to stop the subsequent drive for a turnover on downs. The Wildcats had the same result on their next drive.
FC finished 3-7 with Morehead, McCreary, Clayton Bolser, Bryce Hodapp, Spencer Bath, Terrell Beesley, Jay Schallick and Jadon Napier playing their final games.
“I'll miss all of them,” said Gillman. “Bryce, Peyton and Brady were at the peak of our leadership and high character kids who took care of the locker room and led by example. That class should be proud of what they accomplished. They knew coming in it would be a struggle with our youth and inexperience, yet they never wavered. Continuous effort … without question, one of the more enjoyable years I've ever had coaching.
“People might find that odd with just three wins, but we were in every game except East Central,” he added. “The goal was to improve each week and we were a much better team at the end of the year than at the beginning. I love this team and selfishly, I wanted another (couple) weeks. The young kids grew up in a big way and it's up to them to carry that into the offseason and next year.”
Braves 37, Wildcats 36
Indian Creek – 8 13 8 8 - 37
Franklin Co. – 8 8 14 6 - 36
First Quarter
IC – Pappas 9-yard run, 10:45. Pappas run.
FC – Morehead 98-yard fumble return, :56.7. Gillman run.
Second Quarter
IC – Pappas 8-yard run, 11:47. Nick Jackson kick.
FC – Gillman 5-yard run, 9:44. Gillman pass to Stephenson.
IC – Pappas 1-yard run, 6:59. Kick wide.
Third Quarter
FC – Morehead 64-yard pass from Gillman, 10:23. Run failed.
FC – Morehead 1-yard run, 6:46. Gillman run.
IC – Sauer 1-yard run, 4:30. Ramey pass from Lothe.
Fourth Quarter
IC – Coroa 16-yard pass from Lothe, 7:07. Coroa pass from Lothe.
FC – McCreary 10-yard run, 1:39. Pass failed.
Total yards: IC 486, FC 465
Passing: IC 285, FC 157
Rushing: IC 201, FC 308
First downs: IC 22, FC 20
Fumbles/lost: IC 1/1, FC 1/0
Penalties: IC 7-44, FC 3-35
Indian Creek – Rushing: Unknown 1-7, Pappas 18-122, Sauer 10-63, Lothe 2-9. Passing: Lothe 16-33-285. Receiving: Pappas 4-43, Coroa 4-75, Ramey 4-77, Butler 3-85, Brayden Lowhorn 1-5.
Franklin Co. - Rushing: Morehead 14-115, Gillman 14-94, McCreary 18-99. Passing: Gillman 9-16-157. Receiving: Morehead 4-110, Stephenson 2-24, McCreary 1-(-3), Seals 1-10, Kayden Kerr 1-16.
(Stats unofficial)
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A yellow hanky flew at the most inopportune time Friday night, canceling what surely would have been a winning 2-point conversion for the Franklin County Wildcats over visiting Indian Creek in Sectional 31 action.
The Cats had just completed a 13-play, 59-yard drive with senior Peyton McCreary's 10-yard touchdown run bringing FC within one point at 37-36 with 1:39 left on the clock. After an FC timeout, sophomore quarterback Quinn Gillman evidently connected with senior Brady Morehead for the go-ahead points. But offensive pass interference was called, moving the hosts back 15 yards for a second attempt. Gillman's pass to Morehead in the middle of the end zone fell incomplete.
“We had a great play called against man coverage – a flat/slant concept, or rub route, where two receivers cross very closely by each other so the defensive backs must fight through or run around the routes – and our kids executed well,” said FC head coach Wes Gillman.
“Our outside receiver, Blake Stephenson, got pushed by his guy into Brady's man,” he added. “The ref saw it as a pick. That penalty's never called (on Sunday). It takes the outcome of the game away from the kids … it's a shame.”
The play might not have been so pivotal had the Wildcat defense gotten off the field on the prior possession when the Braves went 96 yards to go up seven.
“We did a lot of things right on that drive, our kids played hard and well,” said Gillman. “Their QB just made two great throws.”
One came on 3rd-and-12 from the Braves' 4-yard line, with 6'4” lefty Arj Lothe finding Lance Butler for 31 yards. Jalen Sauer then rushed for 17 yards across midfield. IC later had 4th-and-7 from FC's 16 following an ineligible receiver downfield penalty. Lothe then squeezed a pass into coverage to Gerson Coroa for the go-ahead score. A sweep pass to Coroa made it 37-30.
Unfazed, FC marched downfield with first downs picked up by Morehead and sophomore Jack Seals. On a 4th-and-5 play, Gillman found Morehead for seven yards to stay alive. The two hooked up again on a 13-yard pass play that converted a 4th-and-4. McCreary capped the drive.
“These last two weeks have been phenomenal in terms of execution and level of play,” said the coach. “Things were falling into place.”
This was apparent during a 14-0 run early in the second half that turned a 21-16 halftime deficit into a 30-21 lead.
Two snaps into the new half, Gillman lofted one toward the left sideline to Morehead; the latter gathered it in and did the rest of the work on a 64-yard TD. A failed conversion put FC up 22-21.
Three Lothe incompletions forced a 3-and-out. Though he passed for 285 yards, the southpaw hit on fewer than 50% of his tosses.
“We haven't seen a QB that accurate all season long,” Gillman praised, while acknowledging the 16-of-33 result. “Our DBs, for the most part, were in the right position all night. We had a few blown coverages but you're not going to be perfect. (A couple times) he put the ball in the only place his receiver could catch it.”
A 39-yard run by Morehead got FC to the Braves' 28 on the ensuing drive. Gillman then spotted Stephenson for a 19-yard pickup for 1st-and-goal. On 3rd-and-11, IC was called for pass interference in the end zone, moving the ball halfway to the goal line. Gillman went back to Stephenson for a pass just shy of a TD. On 4th-and-goal, Morehead dove in for a 1-yard score. A run by Gillman made it a 9-point game.
IC answered by going 57 yards on eight plays. Lothe hit Jaxon Ramey for a total of 19 yards. On a 3rd-and-10, he found Butler for 15. Sauer then carried for 15 more to give the Braves 1st-and-goal. Sauer hauled the next two as well, going in from a yard out. Ramey caught the 2-pointer to cut it to 30-29. FC's next drive stalled at the Braves' 6.
The guests opened the night with a 6-play, 52-yard scoring drive. After a 19-yard pass to Coroa converted a 4th-and-5, Levi Pappas ran it in from 9 yards away. Pappas ran in the conversion to make it 8-0 with only 75 seconds elapsed. The Cats then turned it over on downs at IC's 16 ahead of a Brave punt.
FC also punted and the Braves were threatening to go up two scores. A 21-yard pass to Coroa set them up at FC's 2. A play later, Morehead riled up the hometown crowd by returning a fumble 98 yards for a TD. Gillman's run tied it at 8-8.
IC then went 56 yards on just four plays. A 24-yard pass to Ramey put the ball at the 8, where Pappas scored again. The extra point made it 15-8.
The Cats responded well, going 71 yards on six plays. Gillman broke off a 35-yard run, Morehead added ones of 14 and 11 and Gillman rushed in from five yards out. A pass to Stephenson sent FC ahead by one.
The scoring party continued with the Braves moving quickly into the red zone after a 34-yard pass to Ramey. On 3rd-and-inches, Pappas scored his third TD. IC then regained possession after the kickoff bounded off a Wildcat special teamer. FC was able to stop the subsequent drive for a turnover on downs. The Wildcats had the same result on their next drive.
FC finished 3-7 with Morehead, McCreary, Clayton Bolser, Bryce Hodapp, Spencer Bath, Terrell Beesley, Jay Schallick and Jadon Napier playing their final games.
“I'll miss all of them,” said Gillman. “Bryce, Peyton and Brady were at the peak of our leadership and high character kids who took care of the locker room and led by example. That class should be proud of what they accomplished. They knew coming in it would be a struggle with our youth and inexperience, yet they never wavered. Continuous effort … without question, one of the more enjoyable years I've ever had coaching.
“People might find that odd with just three wins, but we were in every game except East Central,” he added. “The goal was to improve each week and we were a much better team at the end of the year than at the beginning. I love this team and selfishly, I wanted another (couple) weeks. The young kids grew up in a big way and it's up to them to carry that into the offseason and next year.”
Braves 37, Wildcats 36
Indian Creek – 8 13 8 8 - 37
Franklin Co. – 8 8 14 6 - 36
First Quarter
IC – Pappas 9-yard run, 10:45. Pappas run.
FC – Morehead 98-yard fumble return, :56.7. Gillman run.
Second Quarter
IC – Pappas 8-yard run, 11:47. Nick Jackson kick.
FC – Gillman 5-yard run, 9:44. Gillman pass to Stephenson.
IC – Pappas 1-yard run, 6:59. Kick wide.
Third Quarter
FC – Morehead 64-yard pass from Gillman, 10:23. Run failed.
FC – Morehead 1-yard run, 6:46. Gillman run.
IC – Sauer 1-yard run, 4:30. Ramey pass from Lothe.
Fourth Quarter
IC – Coroa 16-yard pass from Lothe, 7:07. Coroa pass from Lothe.
FC – McCreary 10-yard run, 1:39. Pass failed.
Total yards: IC 486, FC 465
Passing: IC 285, FC 157
Rushing: IC 201, FC 308
First downs: IC 22, FC 20
Fumbles/lost: IC 1/1, FC 1/0
Penalties: IC 7-44, FC 3-35
Indian Creek – Rushing: Unknown 1-7, Pappas 18-122, Sauer 10-63, Lothe 2-9. Passing: Lothe 16-33-285. Receiving: Pappas 4-43, Coroa 4-75, Ramey 4-77, Butler 3-85, Brayden Lowhorn 1-5.
Franklin Co. - Rushing: Morehead 14-115, Gillman 14-94, McCreary 18-99. Passing: Gillman 9-16-157. Receiving: Morehead 4-110, Stephenson 2-24, McCreary 1-(-3), Seals 1-10, Kayden Kerr 1-16.
(Stats unofficial)