ALPHARETTA – In its 13-year history, St. Francis had never won a region title. Sometimes, all you need is to say a Hail Mary.
Or throw one.
After allowing a touchdown to tie the score with 16 seconds remaining in the first half, the Knights closed the second quarter with a 40-yard prayer that wide receiver Branden Stozier hauled in over three defenders. Stozier opened the third quarter with a 69-yard catch and run for a score on the second play from scrimmage. St. Francis turned a tight contest into a command lead and never looked back in a 35-18 win over Mt. Pisgah Christian at home.
The win, coupled with Mount Vernon’s loss earlier in the day, clinched the Region 6-A Division 1 title for St. Francis, its first banner in program history.
“It’s a big win for our team, a big win for our program,” said coach Frank Barden, in his fifth year with the Knights. “We’ve got a group that we’re trying to build up, trying to get to the next level, and this is a big step in the right direction.”
For much of the first half, neither Mt. Pisgah nor St. Francis could gain a significant advantage over the other. The Patriots struck first with a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jack Cendoya to receiver Tyler Hunnicutt. The Knights scored back-to-back touchdowns, a 30-yard pass from quarterback Jaiden Jenkins to Tristen Payne and a 1-yard run for Jenkins, to go ahead 12-6 midway through the second quarter. Mt. Pisgah tied it up on a 2-yard run by Cendoya with 16 seconds remaining in the half.
The Knights were given an opportunity on the ensuing kickoff, taking over possession at their own 49-yard line. Rather than sit on the ball, St. Francis saw the opportunity.
“Anytime you have a chance to score going into the half, that’s so big,” Barden said. “You go in with some momentum and give yourself a chance to turn the game around.”
Jenkins hit Strozier for an 11-yard pass to start the drive, leaving a couple second left on the clock for the heave to the end zone. Jenkins threw the ball into a crowd of players, one wearing the dark St. Francis jersey and three in Mt. Pisgah white. Strozier, a Clemson commit, outjumped them all and hauled in the go-ahead score.
On the second play of the third quarter, Jenkins found Strozier again, this time on a pass across the middle. Strozier, with running room, turned upfield and outran the defense for the long score.
Strozier finished the game with five receptions for 149 yards, none bigger than his two game changing scores.
Nearly as important as Strozier’s two touchdowns was the constant pressure of the St. Francis defensive front. In an example of why stats aren’t the most indicative statistic, the Knights brought down Patriots quarterback Jack Cendoya behind the line just twice but constantly had him on the run. His passes were impacted as he completed just 50 percent of his passes, 20 of 40, for 155 yards and a touchdown in the game.
The defense put two points on the board in the third quarter, notching a safety, and giving the Knights offense a chance to put the game away. The Knights responded with a 10-play scoring drive that made the score 35-12 early in the fourth.
The St. Francis defense held Mt. Pisgah to just 271 total yard in the game.
Barden had plenty of praise for the opposing quarterback, however, who took a beating for the entirety of the game, even leaving at one point late in the fourth quarter. Rather than taking the bench for the rest of the night, however, Cendoya came back in after one play to finish off a 15-play scoring drive.
“I can’t say enough about their quarterback,” Barden said. “You talk about a kid who battled out there. We knew coming in he had a lot of ability, that he could beat you with his legs. We tried our best to keep him on the run. We have as athletic a defensive front as he’s played, and he still was running around and able to have some success.”
Cendoya finished the game with 155 yards and a touchdown pass, along with 21 carries for 95 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
St. Francis quarterback Jenkins was 14 of 28 for 237 yards and three touchdown passes in the game.
The Knights finish their regular season next week at Mount Vernon, while the Patriots play at Whitefield Academy.
Mt. Pisgah – 6 – 6 – 0 –6 – 18
St. Francis – 6 – 13 – 9 – 7 – 35
First Quarter
MP – Tyler Hunnicutt 21 pass from Jack Cendoya (kick failed); 3:50
SF – Tristen Payne 30 pass from Jaiden Jenkins (kick failed); 2:42
Second Quarter
SF – Jenkins 1 run (run failed); 6:32
MP – Cendoya 2 run (kick blocked); :16
SF – Branden Strozier 40 pass from Jenkins (Elijah Lubert kick); :00
Third Quarter
SF – Strozier 69 pass from Jenkins (Lubert kick); 11:38
SF – Safety; 4:31
Fourth Quarter
SF – Kevin Maven 5 run (Lubert kick); 11:14
MP – Cendoya 3 run (kick failed); 7:50
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