The Skyline Hawks trailed four separate times, but battled back using big plays on offense and key stops on defense to defeat the Handley Judges by a score of 33-27 on Friday night at Skyline HIgh School.
Handley recovered the opening kickoff after it deflected off of a Skyline player at the Hawk 21 yard line. Mike Brown took a hand-off on the first play from scrimmage and bounced off tackle and raced into the end zone just 13 seconds into the game. The pass conversion attempt failed, and Handley was up 6-0.
Skyline answered with a 14 play drive that spanned 7 minutes and ended with a Quentin Diggs 1 yard touchdown run. The conversion kick failed, and the game was tied at 6 with 4:47 left in the first quarter. Big plays on that drive included Ryan Scott passing to Matt Hartzell for 22 yards, and to Luis Garcia for 21 yards.
Neither team scored again until the 11:47 mark of the 2nd quarter when Skyline senior Max Meador forced a fumble with a sack, and then scooped and scored from 27 yards out to put the Hawks up 12-6.
Skyline started moving the ball again on its next drive after being pinned deep by a Handley punt. Quentin Diggs hit Tucker Fortney with a pass that he turned into a 42 yard gain. The momentum quickly shifted, however, as Trenton King took the ball on a jet sweep, and then tried to pass it back to Ryan Scott, but was intercepted by Handley's Kevin Curry who raced untouched into the end zone to put Handley back up on top 13-12 with 8:47 left in the 2nd quarter.
But in a game of momentum shifts, things quickly shifted back to the Hawks as sophomore Caleb Reedy returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and Skyline was back in the lead, 19-13
Handley then embarked on a 10 play drive to get the lead back, running the ball on 9 out of 10 plays. Brown got the Judges down to the Hawks 9 yard line on a 20 yard run, but it was costly as he was injured on the play and did not return. On third and goal, Jacob Parker connected with Diontre Bell on a 5 yard pass to put Handley up 20-19 with 3:20 left in the 2nd quarter.
Handley increased their lead early in the 2nd half as Christian Moten scored on a 57 yard touchdown run to put the Judges up 27-19 with 10:35 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Diggs then operated out of the wildcat for most of the next series for Skyline, and finished off the drive with a 23 yard touchdown run with 8:18 left in the third quarter. The 2 point conversion pass from Scott to Diggs tied the game up at 27.
The next series for each team ended in punts, and then Handley was driving early in the 4th quarter before a sack by Meador and Seth Gillespy forced a fourth down from the 27 yard line. Aidan Marshall's 44 yard field goal attempt for the lead was no good, and the Hawks got the ball at their own 20.
After a run and a pass incompletion set up a 3rd and 10, Scott found found Trenton King with a deep pass, and King juked a defender and then sprinted for an 80 yard touchdown. The conversion pass failed, but the Hawks were up 33-27 with 9:32 left in the game.
After both teams traded three and outs, Handley embarked on their final drive, starting at their own 19 yard line. Behind runs by Moten and receptions by Curry, the Judges plodded down the field into Hawks territory. But on 3rd and 10 from the Skyline 24, Parker's pass was intercepted by Ty Clingerman at the Hawks 7 yard line with 1:35 remaining.
Diggs carried the ball three times, securing the first down necessary, and Scott took a knee to end the game.
The Hawks travel to Sherando on Friday night to face the Warriors, while the Judges will host the Millbrook Pioneers on Saturday.
Handley recovered the opening kickoff after it deflected off of a Skyline player at the Hawk 21 yard line. Mike Brown took a hand-off on the first play from scrimmage and bounced off tackle and raced into the end zone just 13 seconds into the game. The pass conversion attempt failed, and Handley was up 6-0.
Skyline answered with a 14 play drive that spanned 7 minutes and ended with a Quentin Diggs 1 yard touchdown run. The conversion kick failed, and the game was tied at 6 with 4:47 left in the first quarter. Big plays on that drive included Ryan Scott passing to Matt Hartzell for 22 yards, and to Luis Garcia for 21 yards.
Neither team scored again until the 11:47 mark of the 2nd quarter when Skyline senior Max Meador forced a fumble with a sack, and then scooped and scored from 27 yards out to put the Hawks up 12-6.
Skyline started moving the ball again on its next drive after being pinned deep by a Handley punt. Quentin Diggs hit Tucker Fortney with a pass that he turned into a 42 yard gain. The momentum quickly shifted, however, as Trenton King took the ball on a jet sweep, and then tried to pass it back to Ryan Scott, but was intercepted by Handley's Kevin Curry who raced untouched into the end zone to put Handley back up on top 13-12 with 8:47 left in the 2nd quarter.
But in a game of momentum shifts, things quickly shifted back to the Hawks as sophomore Caleb Reedy returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and Skyline was back in the lead, 19-13
Handley then embarked on a 10 play drive to get the lead back, running the ball on 9 out of 10 plays. Brown got the Judges down to the Hawks 9 yard line on a 20 yard run, but it was costly as he was injured on the play and did not return. On third and goal, Jacob Parker connected with Diontre Bell on a 5 yard pass to put Handley up 20-19 with 3:20 left in the 2nd quarter.
Handley increased their lead early in the 2nd half as Christian Moten scored on a 57 yard touchdown run to put the Judges up 27-19 with 10:35 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Diggs then operated out of the wildcat for most of the next series for Skyline, and finished off the drive with a 23 yard touchdown run with 8:18 left in the third quarter. The 2 point conversion pass from Scott to Diggs tied the game up at 27.
The next series for each team ended in punts, and then Handley was driving early in the 4th quarter before a sack by Meador and Seth Gillespy forced a fourth down from the 27 yard line. Aidan Marshall's 44 yard field goal attempt for the lead was no good, and the Hawks got the ball at their own 20.
After a run and a pass incompletion set up a 3rd and 10, Scott found found Trenton King with a deep pass, and King juked a defender and then sprinted for an 80 yard touchdown. The conversion pass failed, but the Hawks were up 33-27 with 9:32 left in the game.
After both teams traded three and outs, Handley embarked on their final drive, starting at their own 19 yard line. Behind runs by Moten and receptions by Curry, the Judges plodded down the field into Hawks territory. But on 3rd and 10 from the Skyline 24, Parker's pass was intercepted by Ty Clingerman at the Hawks 7 yard line with 1:35 remaining.
Diggs carried the ball three times, securing the first down necessary, and Scott took a knee to end the game.
The Hawks travel to Sherando on Friday night to face the Warriors, while the Judges will host the Millbrook Pioneers on Saturday.
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