Special teams help A.C. Flora past Dreher
A.C. Flora used a pair of big plays on special teams in the fourth quarter to help boost its playoff chances in the 28-21 win over Dreher on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
With the win, A.C. Flora (5-4, 2-2) pulls into a tie with Dreher (5-4, 2-2) for third place in Region 4-3A with one game left. The Falcons would hold the tiebreaker over the Blue Devils because of Friday’s win.
A.C. Flora is at Chapin next week, while Dreher hosts Richland Northeast.
With the score tied 21-21 in the fourth quarter, Clarence Watson returned a kickoff 94 yards to give the Falcons a 28-21 lead with seven minutes left. Dreher turned the ball over on downs on its next possession. Facing a fourth down inside the 50, A.C. Flora used a fake punt and Lane Botkin hit Charles Chapman to keep the drive alive.
The Falcons ended up turning the ball over later in the drive at the 2-yard line with a minute left, but Dreher made it only as far as its own 36 yard-line.
TURNING POINT
After Dreher tied it at 21 on an Avery Armstrong touchdown pass to Steve Cooke with 7:17 left, Watson provided the game-winning score with the 94-yard kickoff return.
KEY PERFORMERS
Clarence Watson: A.C. Flora back rushed for 108 yards and also had more than 100 yards on special teams.
Jay Washington and Earl Preddy: Dreher running backs combined for 159 yards rushing and each had a touchdown run.
THEY SAID IT
“(Clarence) Watson has been electric the last three weeks. He has taken his game to a new level. He is a four-way player. He plays all special teams and offense and defense. He makes plays any time we need him to.” – A.C. Flora coach Reggie Shaw
“I’m proud of my guys. We fought hard and just came up a few plays short. The kickoff return was probably the difference. We struggled in the kicking game this year and that was something I challenged our guys.” – Dreher coach Treigh Sullivan
“It was a good classic rivalry. It was what high school football is all about.” – Shaw
KEY NUMBERS
9: Number of consecutive victories by the Falcons over the Blue Devils.
2: Number of 100-yard rushers in the game for A.C. Flora – Watson (108) and Clarence Gist (111)
HOW THEY SCORED
1st Quarter
ACF – Hollingsworth 14 pass from Greene (Geiger kick), 5:53
D – Washington 1 run (Campbell kick), 1:20
2nd Quarter
ACF – Gist 2 run (Geiger kick), 5:43
3rd Quarter
D – Preddy 30 run (Campbell kick), 2:37
4th Quarter
ACF – Gist 1 run (Geiger kick), 11:00
D – Cooke 20 pass from Armstrong (Campbell kick), 7:17
ACF – Watson 94 kickoff return (Geiger kick), 7:00
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: ACF: Gist 15-111, Watson 16-108, Greene 8-34. D: Washington 12-63, Preddy 14-96 Armstrong 14-35
Passing: ACF: Greene 11-18-1 126. D: Armstrong 11-17-0 112
Receiving: ACF: Hollinsgworth 6-92, Watson 2-18, Riley 2-12, Bethea 1-4. D: Preddy 1-17, Cooke 3-26, Salters 4-49, Washington 1-11, Brown 1-9
This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 11:28 PM.