Madison Academy comes up inches short
BY LINDSAY VAUGHT
Just stick to the game plan was what Madison Academy head coach Eric Cohu preached to his team all week. Treat it like it is another Friday night, even though it was a Thursday morning in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Mustangs did just that, but the result was not what mind Cohu had in mind. The school’s first state championship in football eluded the Mustangs by the slimmest of margins as Handley scored 13, fourth quarter points and claimed a 20-14 victory.
MA could not sustain the rushing game that had led them to four straight playoff, as Handley out rushed the Mustangs 272 to 203 yards. Most of those came in the fourth quarter.
Leading rusher Kerryon Johnson had touchdown runs and on defense had an interception but his catch of a pass with .05 seconds left was ruled out of bounds as time expired.
Johnson finished with 60 yards on 12 carries. His 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a Chandler Trach extra point put Academy up 7-0. Handley answered early in the second quarter to tie the game on a Duran Zachary two-yard touchdown run on an 11-play 55-yard drive.
While nursing a foot injury Khyle Jackson took some carries at tailback and finished with 56 yards on three carries. The Mustangs’ missed an opportunity just before halftime to add to the lead. Nick Haas fumbled after taking a 22-yard pass from Hunter Olive to the Handley 39-yard line.
Academy went ahead in the third quarter on a long eight play, 86-yard drive culminated when Johnson burst out of a pile of players to streak 24 yards for a touchdown. The lead held up until deep in the fourth quarter. Academy appeared to have the game won.
But, Academy failed to gain a first down and a short punt had Handley in business at Academy’s 31-yard line. Handley’s running game moved to a touchdown on three plays with only 3:53 on the clock. A pivotal two-point conversion was stopped short by Jackson who led Academy with 10 total tackles.
Again, the Mustangs appeared to have won the game if they could recover an onside kick. The expected onside kick resulted in a scrum recovered by Handley.
Handley scored the go ahead touchdown with 42 seconds on the clock.
Academy drove from their 45 yards line to Handley with only five seconds left. The last second pass play to Johnson was ruled out of bounds.
