The Archer Tigers may have completed the turnaround of the season.
After losing their first four games to a quartet of the state’s best teams, coach Andy Dyer’s club rolled off six straight wins – five of them by shutout – and claimed the Region 7-7A title on Friday with a 9-0 victory over Norcross.
“I’ve got two words to say,” Dyer told his club after the game. “Region champs. The character you developed and the schedule you played showed tonight.”
The Tigers (6-4) will host Alpharetta in the first round of the state playoffs next week. Norcross (7-3) will host Cherokee in the playoff opener.
Archer’s turnaround was predicated on its defense. The Tigers shut out five of their region opponents and stymied a Norcross team that averaged almost 47 points over the last three games. Norcross showed little offensive spark until the final minute when they drove the length of the field and came up empty when time ran out.
“The defense worked hard all week in practice and we deserved it,” said Archer senior linebacker Abraham Mukwiza. “We really worked for this because we know if the offense struggles a little, it falls on the defense.”
The Norcross defense was equally as stout. The Blue Devils entered the game with three shutouts and had given up only 16 points against region competition. They kept Archer out of the end zone, but could not prevent lanky junior Miles Hamby from kicking three field goals.
Hamby kicked a 33-yard in the second quarter and the 3-0 score stood until halftime. He was good from 31 yards to start the fourth quarter and knocked a 20-yarder through in the final minute to clinch the victory.
“I did not expect that,” Hamby said. “Winning the region means a lot. This is my first year (on the varsity) and I’m glad to be a big contributor to that.”
Dyer had no qualms about letting Hamby kick the field goals.
“He’s had a really good week kicking,” Dyer said. “It’s playtime when the lights come on and we had an opportunity to kick those and he nailed them. I’m super proud of him.”
Archer’s Chad Alexander rushed nine times for 55 yards and Chase Sellers carried 23 times for 53 yards. Norcross quarterback A.J. Watkins ran 20 times for 82 yards and completed5 of 12 passes for 41 yards.
The game was an old-school physical battle, with both teams pounding the ball on the ground and each team getting only four possessions each half. Archer’s first scoring drive took 19 plays. The Tigers came away with three takeaways – an interception by Caleb Wooden, a fumble recovery by Alex Mincey and a recovered fumble on a bad snap on a punt. Norcross didn’t get inside the Archer 30 until the meaningless last-minute drive.
“Our guys pride themselves so much on the work they put in and anytime you get a shutout in sports, it’s big, so we’re proud of them,” Dyer said
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