POWDER SPRINGS — Mill Creek coach Shannon Jarvis didn’t look any worse for wear at the end despite watching his Hawks hold off a frantic finish in a thrilling 31-28 win over McEachern Friday night in the Class AAAAAAA quarterfinals at Cantrell Stadium.
And why should he. He got exactly what he was expecting.
“We knew it was going to be this kind of a game,” Jarvis said. “It was a slugfest right from the start between two great teams.”
The Indians scored with 1:41 left to cut it to the final score after driving the field in just over a minute. Then, Jarvis watched Jake Plummer recover an onside kick. But it still wasn’t done as the McEachern defense stuffed Joe Thomas twice and called timeout each time.
The Indians were poised to get the ball back with nearly 90 seconds left. But a fortuitous personal foul on the Indians with 1:20 left gave the Hawks a chance to run out the clock and preserve the win.
“The resiliency of both teams was just amazing,” Jarvis said. “We got up and they came back. Then we had to fight through injuries and and some missed opportunities. Then we get the big play and then they came back again. It was just an honor to be a part of a game like that.”
It was a tale of two halves for both teams. In the opening 17 minutes, the offenses assaulted two of the classification’s best defenses with four touchdowns and half-a-dozen chunk-plays of over 30 yards. In the second half, the two defenses pummelled the two offenses forcing eight punts combined.
A Brenton King 34-yard field late in the third quarter for Mill Creek to break a 21-21 tie was the only second half blemish against either defense until the final three minutes.
But clinging to that 24-21 lead late in the fourth quarter, Jarvis and the offense rolled the dice after the defense had forced another short McEachern punt.
Senior quarterback Cameron Turley found a streaking Ace Williams on a seam rout, and despite being mugged and nearly dragged down by a defender for what was going to be a sure pass interference call, Williams, also a senior, juggled the ball briefly and managed to stay upright and get control of the ball and sprint the final 20 yards untouched for what would be a game-winning 64-yard touchdown pass.
It was the second touchdown catch of the game for Williams, who Jarvis said they had been trying to work into the offense more.
“It was just players making plays, on both sides,” he said. “Ace has really come on for us late in the season. We’ve been trying to get him more involved.”
Williams had just three touches, but two went for scores and he finished with a team-high 106 yards receiving.
“I knew the play was coming to me so I knew I had to step up and make a play,” he said of the game-winning catch. “We all know on this team that anyone can be the guy that is called on. You just have to be ready.”
Turley finished 11-for-21 for 170 yards passing for the game with two touchdowns.
The Hawks (13-0) now turn their sights on their semifinal opponent, Grayson, which routed defending state champion Colquitt County 49-21 in Moultrie. The Rams led 49-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
“Wow,” Jarvis said of Grayson’s score. “I think everyone in Gwinnett County has been waiting for this one. I know they’re a great team but we’ll begin to look at film and get ready for next week.”
Williams said they are looking forward to the cross-county showdown.
“It’s great to get back to the semifinals and we’re looking forward to playing Grayson,” he said. “We’ll have to see what we see when we look at film of them. But I think we’re ready.”
Mill Creek got things going quickly on its opening drive of the game.
Turley found Williams for 21 yards on a first down and Edmond Graham capped the drive with a 14-yard run on a pitch left on third down for a 7-0 lead. The Hawks were 3-for-3 on third down on the drive.
McEachern then fumbled on its first play of the game and the Hawks’ Victor Heyward recovered at the Indians 15. Joe Thomas capped a quick 2-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown run just six minutes in for a 14-0 Mill Creek lead. It looked a rout may be on.
But, after Mill Creek forced a McEachern punt, the Indians CJ Miller sacked Turley, who fumbled, and Miller recovered it at the Mill Creek 20. Senior quarterback and Florida State-commit Bailey Hockman needed just one play finding Paris Brown for a 20-yard touchdown pass to trim the lead to 14-7.
After the Indians defense forced a Mill Creek punt, Hockman again struck quick connecting with to EJ Scott for 41 yards on a 3rd-and-15 and then one play later Hockman and Brandon Smith combined for a 34-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14 with 1:09 left in first quarter.
The Hawks reclaimed the lead 21-14 early in the second quarter when Turley and Williams connected for a 21-yard scoring play.
The two teams traded punts and then McEachern then showed off its dangerous quick-strike capability. Hockman found a wide-open Scott on the next play for a 67-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21 with 7:05 left in the first half.
The Mill Creek defense settled in over the final seven minutes forcing two McEachern punts while the Hawks offense had two more chances to add on.
A short Hawks drive had Brenton King lining up first for a 59-yard field goal attempt. However, an Indians penalty moved it up to a 54-yd try and King’s attempt had the distance but sailed wide right.
The next Mill Creek possession had the Hawks driving to the Indians 17 and facing a 4th-and-1 with 35 seconds left. The Hawks let the clock click down to 20 before King attempted a 34-yard field goal. But again it sailed wide right and the teams went into the half tied at 21.
McEachern came into the game with a balanced offensive attack averaging nearly 400 yards a game. But the Mill Creek defense, which came in ranked No. 3 in AAAAAAA, held the Indians to minus-7 yards rushing in the first half. Hockman, however, was 7-of-10 for 196 yards passing and two touchdown tosses.
The Hawks had 90 yards rushing, 63 by Thomas, and Turley was 7-of-13 for 85 yards passing.
Mill Creek twice drove into McEachern territory in the third quarter behind Thomas, who finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. One resulted in King’s field goal and the other ended when a 54-yard field goal attempt by King clanged high off the right upright with a minute left in the period.
In the fourth quarter the Indians mounted a quick drive when Hockman connected with Smith on consecutive plays of 14 and 28 yards to the Mill Creek 23 with 8:27 left in the game.
But the Hawks’ Jack Griffith stepped in front of Quay Holmes to pick off Hockman on the next play. McEachern forced a punt and got the ball back and moved the Mill Creek 33 but a holding call and a near sack forcing an incomplete pass forced the Indians to punt with 3:38 left.
After a 7-yard punt, Turley and Williams connected on the game winner.
Hockman finished 22-for-42 for 377 yards and four touchdowns in his final high school game.
SCORING SUMMARY
Mill Creek.......14....7.....3....7 -- 31
McEachern......14....7.....0....7 -- 28
First Quarter
MC -- Graham 14 run (King kick) 7-0, 7:01
MC -- Thomas 8 run (King kick) 14-0, 6:04
McE -- Brown 20 pass from Hockman (Dominguez kick) 14-7, 3:44
McE -- Scott 34 pass from Hockman (Dominguez kick) 14-14, 1:09
Second Quarter
MC -- Williams 21 pass from Turley (King kick) 21-14, 10:48
McE -- Scott 67 pass from Hockman (Dominguez kick) 21-21, 7:05
Third Quarter
MC -- King 30 FG 24-21, 3:47
Fourth Quarter
MC -- Williams 64 pass from Turley (King kick) 31-21, 3:09
McE -- Holmes 4 pass from Hockman (Dominguez kick) 31-28, 1:41
NOTES: Quay Holmes and Paris Brown has 341 yards rushing against Parkview in the second round. They were held to zero yards on 20 attempts by the Hawks. ... The Mill Creek came into the game yielding just 28 yards a game on the ground.
