ROSWELL, Ga. — Union County had the ball and a shot on the final drive to tie the game and force overtime in the Region 8-2A championship game.
But Fellowship Christian's Josh Milhollin intercepted Union County quarterback Caiden Tanner to seal the Paladins' 28-21 win on Thursday.
Union County holds the tiebreaker based on a plus 12, minus 12 tiebreaker system and will be a No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Panthers will host Eagles Landing Christian on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Regardless, Union County jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the first half, but the Paladins stormed back to tie the game, 14-14, at halftime.
In the second half, the Paladins grabbed the lead, 21-14. But the Panthers fired back to tie the game, 21-21.
Fellowship took back the lead, 28-21, on a Millhollin TD pass early in the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Union County marched inside the Paladins' 20-yard line and had an opportunity to put six on the board, but the pass play from Caiden Tanner to Jensen Goble fell one-yard short of the goal line on a fourth-and-and goal play.
The Paladins dug themselves out of the goal line hole after the Panthers turned it over on downs at the one-yard line and drove it out to their 47-yard line.
The Panthers forced a punt situation, and the Paladins attempted a fake punt. Union quickly caught on and stopped Fellowship shy of the first down, taking over the ball at the Paladins' 47-yard line with 2:48 left.
The Panthers drove it down to the Paladins' 16-yard line and completed passes to Ethan McBride and Braylen Rader. The drive, however, ended with an interception to seal Fellowship's win.
