FLOWERY BRANCH — The lights at Falcons Field may have gone out on David Bishop during his postgame interview Friday night, but the smile he displayed was nearly bright enough that it didn’t matter.
“When it got down to the final moments, we just found a way to get it done,” Bishop said after watching his North Hall team hold off a frantic second half charge by Flowery Branch and escape with a 21-20 win on a night when the game was delayed 82 minutes because of lightning.
“We really just hung on at the end. It was a crazy night but our guys never quit. We knew it was going to be tough.”
After just 14 seconds, it looked it would be a long night for the Trojans (2-0). The Falcons wasted little time in displaying the offensive firepower they feel they have to make a playoff run in 2016.
Quarterback Nick Lance connected with receiver Jalin Strown on an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game as some fans were still filing in. Korey Graham then added a two-point run for a quick 8-0 lead.
North Hall answered right back, however, as Kyle Bacus broke through a huge hole on North Hall’s second play of the game for a 92-yard sprint for a touchdown just 62 seconds later to cut the lead to 8-6 after a botched extra point.
The teams traded a pair of punts and then Bacus struck again rambling 51-yards for his second touchdown run with 2:15 left in the first quarter. Peyton Mavity added a two-point run to give the Trojans a 14-8 lead. The Falcons appeared to have answered right back on their next possession but the Trojans’ David Seid out-wrestled the Falcons’ Cameron Holmes for the ball in the end zone on a 35-yard pass from Lance for an interception and a touchback.
It was a play the Falcons definitely needed as North Hall never trailed again. It loomed large at the final gun as Flowery Branch was forced to try a long field goal for the go-ahead points after both teams' kickers struggled in the rain and on a wet turf.
Bacus finished the game with 229 yards and three touchdowns despite being questionable coming into the game after suffering a rib injury in their opener last week against Chestatee.
The Trojans pounded out 269 yards total on the ground.
“Kyle is a tough kid and he showed that toughness,” Bishop said. “He didn't want to come out but we did some some things to take some of the pressure off him.”
North Hall got the spark it wanted to start the second half with a 41-yard kickoff return by Daniel Jackson and was aided by a 15-yard penalty on the Falcons. Bacus later capped the drive with his third touchdown of the game for a 21-8 lead with 7:53 left in the third quarter.
Moments later North Hall looked poised to blow the game open when Flowery Branch’s initial drive of the second half came to a halt after a crucial penalty to negate a first down run deep in Trojans territory and then a bad snap on a punt attempt gave the Trojans great field position at the Falcons 28. But Flowery Branch's Graham picked off a Jackson Madonna pass at the Falcons 1 to thwart the drive.
The Falcons used that momentum to get back in the game. They mounted an 8-play, 99-yard drive that was capped by a 31-yard scamper by Malik Drayton to cut the lead to 21-14 after a missed extra point with 2:33 left in the third quarter.
After forcing another North Hall punt, the Falcons went 72-yards in 11 plays with Drayton capping that drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to pull the Falcons within 21-20. They lined up for a two-point try but a motion penalty and then an unsportsmanlike penalty forced the Falcons to try a 40-yard extra point, which was blocked by North Hall to preserve the slim lead with 6:45 left.
The Falcons held North Hall on downs on the next possession and got the ball back at their own 13 with 3:36 left. Lance kept the drive alive with an 11-yard scramble that was aided by a 15-yard penalty on North Hall to put the Falcons at the Trojans 48. A 19-yard pass to Drayton and later a 3-yard run by Malik Damons put Flowery Branch on the North Hall 17 with 1:52 left.
But, a penalty and two incomplete passes forced the Falcons into a 36-yard field goal attempt by Alexander Sanchez that sailed just wide left with 57 seconds left.
North Hall ran out the final minute to preserve the win.
Flowery Branch (0-1) found the offensive balance it wanted piling up 447 total yards -- 232 passing and 215 rushing -- but the three turnovers and kicking game problems proved too much to overcome.
Drayton, a junior, had a breakout game for the Falcons with 232 all-purpose yards -- 126 rushing, 54 receiving, 52 returns -- to go with his two touchdowns. He touched the ball on 24 of the Falcons 67 offensive plays.
SCORING SUMMARY
North Hall....14....0....7....0 -- 21
Fl. Branch......8....0....6....6 -- 20
First Quarter
F -- Strown 80 pass from Lance (Graham run) 8-0, 11:46
N -- Baucus 92 run (kick failed) 8-7, 10:44
N -- Baucus 51 run (Mavity run) 14-8, 2:15
Third Quarter
N -- Baucus 1 run (Mavity kick) 21-7, 7:53
F -- Drayton 31 run (kick failed) 21-14, 2:33
Fourth Quarter
F -- Drayton 1 run (kick failed) 21-20, 6:45
