Sandy Creek’s Travis Franklin scored on a 1-yard run with 50 seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 21-17 victory over defending champion Cedar Grove in the Class 3A championship game Saturday afternoon at Center Parc Stadium.
Sandy Creek (13-2), ranked No. 3, avenged a regular-season loss to the Saints and captured its first championship since 2012, when it won the last of three titles in four years. Top-ranked Cedar Grove (11-3) was denied in its bid for a fifth state title in seven seasons. Cedar Grove defeated Sandy Creek 49-34 on Oct. 21 in a game that ultimately decided the Region 5-3A championship.
“This group of kids right here, I told them in the locker room at halftime that I wouldn’t trade them for any team in America because they work that hard and they play that hard all the time,” Sandy Creek coach Brett Garvin said.
The winning touchdown wasn’t without controversy, as replays appeared to show that Franklin was stopped short of the end zone. The referees discussed the play, and the touchdown stood. It came on third down, so the Patriots would have had one more shot at the end zone had Franklin been ruled down.
The game-winning drive, which covered 70 yards in 12 plays, came after Cedar Grove took a 17-14 lead on a 20-yard touchdown run by Ricky Lee with 5:22 to play. The key play for the Patriots on the drive was a 23-yard run by quarterback Geimere Latimer on fourth-and-22 that moved the ball to the Cedar Grove 21.
“He’s been a starter for two years, and he’s always been a guy who said, ‘Give me the ball’ in a big situation,” Garvin said. “We told him you can run it or you can throw it, and as long as you get that first down and can get us close to the end zone, we can stick it in at the end.”
Latimer led Sandy Creek in rushing with 10 carries for 53 yards, including 24 yards in losses on three sacks, and was 14-for-25 passing for 174 yards. Cameron Watts had 93 yards receiving on seven catches.
Cedar Grove had a controversial play at the goal line of its own. Elliott Colson was ruled short of the end zone on a third-down run from the 2, although replays appeared to show the ball crossing the line. The Saints opted for a 27-yard field-goal attempt by Amari Forte, but the kick was blocked by Watts to preserve Sandy Creek’s 14-10 lead with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter.
Sandy Creek took a 7-0 lead on its first possession and had a chance to seize control of the game on its second when it had a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. However, an incomplete pass, two losses and a penalty pushed the ball back to the 26, and the Patriots turned the ball over on downs.
Cedar Grove responded with a 74-yard drive, tying the score on a 7-yard run by Quinterio Lawson. Sandy Creek fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 36-yard field goal by Forte that in effect turned a potential 14-0 deficit into a 10-7 Saints lead.
Sandy Creek also had a third-and-goal at the 1 on the third quarter, but turned the ball over on downs.
“Yea, we did miss some points, but I don’t think our kids ever thought we weren’t going to win the game,” Garvin said. “I never saw that in their faces. Never. Not one time.”
Cedar Grove - 0-10-0-7 - 17
Sandy Creek - 7-0-7-7 - 21
First quarter
S - Travis Franklin 1 run (Jakob Norris kick), 6:49
Second quarter
C - Quinterio Lawson 7 run (Amari Forte kick), 10:04
C - Forte 36 field goal, 8:27
Third quarter
S - Geimere 1 run 10 run (Norris kick), 6:12
Fourth quarter
C - Ricky Lee 20 run (Forte kick), 3:16
S - Franklin 1 run (Norris kick), 0:50
About the Author
