One for the ages!
By Jamie Gardner
For a team that has only existed for nine years, the Appling Christian Academy Eagles have an impressive trophy display. Of these nine years Appling Christian has played for the state championship five times and brought home the state title three times. This year the Eagles finished the season perfect; a 9-0 record and another state title.
Shown are Appling Christian Academy Eagle football team members Andrew Phillips, Cole Livingston, Cameron Carter, Daniel Beasley, Bryant Phillips, Coty Weaver, Dallas Johnson, John McLemore, Hunter Allen, Timothy Sexton, Hunter Barber, Zach Carter and Reid Edwards along with Head Coach Keith Wiggins and family and fans celebrating after winning the Georgia Christian Athletic Association’s 2012 State Championship at Eagle Filed Friday evening.
STATE CHAMPIONS!
On Friday night it was battle of the ages between of the best two teams in the Georgia Christian Athletic Association’s 2012 State Championship Game. Appling Christian, with its perfect record, hosted the Kings Way Crusaders from Douglasville at Eagle Field. The highly anticipated game certainly lived up to the pre-game hype as it took multiple overtimes to decide the winner. The Eagles had defeated the Crusaders earlier in the season in a close contest and this was the Crusaders only loss during the season. The Crusaders also outnumbered the Eagles nearly two to one.
Early in the game it was a defensive battle between the Eagles and Crusaders. It appeared as if the Crusaders would be the first to score a touchdown on the evening, but Eagle defender Andrew Phillips (MVP of the game) intercepted a ball in the end zone away from a Crusader receiver. This set up a touchback and the Eagles started an 80-yard march down the field and it was the Eagles that got on the scoreboard early. Andrew Phillips (now playing running back) scored on a five-yard run. The two-point conversion was no good and the score at the 7:59 mark in the second period was 6-0.
Kings Way would answer right back with a strong 70-yard drive with the Crusader quarterback capping the long drive with a short keeper around the end for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good and the Crusaders took the lead 8-6.
On the Eagles next offensive possession Daniel Beasley, playing from the quarterback position, tossed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Phillips. The Eagles two-pointer again failed, but they had retaken the lead 12-8 with 4:42 remaining before the halftime break.
The Crusaders found paydirt once more before halftime this time capping a 52-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass. The two-point attempt was no good and the score was 14-12 at this point and would remain unchanged until the halftime break.
At the 4:42 mark in the third period, the Eagles took the lead again as Daniel Beasley punched the ball across the goal line from the one-yard line. The Eagles had driven the ball 75 yards down the field on this drive. Quarterback Cole Livingston added the two-point conversion and the score was 20-14.
However, the lead did not last long as the Crusaders answered again with a 74-yard touchdown. The Eagle defense held strong and kept the Crusaders from scoring the two-point conversion and the score was knotted at 20-20 with 3:32 remaining in the third.
With time dwindling away in the ballgame (fourth period), Kings Way scored on a 10-yard run and added the two-point conversion to take the lead 28-20 with just two minutes remaining. It seemed as the Eagles momentum in the game had stalled at this point.
On their final possession of the evening the Eagles set up for a pass play and a Crusader defender intercepted the pass attempt but then fumbled and freshman lineman Bryant Phillips picked the ball up and ran it all the way to the end zone for an Eagle score with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation. The crucial two-point conversion was good and the score was tied again at 28-28.
In the first overtime the Eagles won the coin toss and had first shot at the end zone from the 10-yard line. Andrew Phillips pushed his way across the goal line to score for the Eagles. The two-point conversion was no good. The score was 34-28.
Kings Way was next at the overtime attempt from the 10-yard line. The Crusaders were also able to find the end zone and attempted to kick the point after attempt, which missed wide. The score was tied at 34-34.
In the second overtime, Kings Way got possession first and this time the big Eagle defense rose to the occasion stuffing the Crusaders and keeping them from scoring on the four down attempt.
The Appling offense again took to the field and it appeared that the Eagles would fall short in the second overtime attempt, but on 4th down and 4 Andrew Phillips again answered the call and darted across the goal line for the final score of the night. Eagles win 40-34.
Early in the game it was a defensive battle between the Eagles and Crusaders. It appeared as if the Crusaders would be the first to score a touchdown on the evening, but Eagle defender Andrew Phillips (MVP of the game) intercepted a ball in the end zone away from a Crusader receiver. This set up a touchback and the Eagles started an 80-yard march down the field and it was the Eagles that got on the scoreboard early. Andrew Phillips (now playing running back) scored on a five-yard run. The two-point conversion was no good and the score at the 7:59 mark in the second period was 6-0.
Kings Way would answer right back with a strong 70-yard drive with the Crusader quarterback capping the long drive with a short keeper around the end for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good and the Crusaders took the lead 8-6.
On the Eagles next offensive possession Daniel Beasley, playing from the quarterback position, tossed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Phillips. The Eagles two-pointer again failed, but they had retaken the lead 12-8 with 4:42 remaining before the halftime break.
The Crusaders found paydirt once more before halftime this time capping a 52-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass. The two-point attempt was no good and the score was 14-12 at this point and would remain unchanged until the halftime break.
At the 4:42 mark in the third period, the Eagles took the lead again as Daniel Beasley punched the ball across the goal line from the one-yard line. The Eagles had driven the ball 75 yards down the field on this drive. Quarterback Cole Livingston added the two-point conversion and the score was 20-14.
However, the lead did not last long as the Crusaders answered again with a 74-yard touchdown. The Eagle defense held strong and kept the Crusaders from scoring the two-point conversion and the score was knotted at 20-20 with 3:32 remaining in the third.
With time dwindling away in the ballgame (fourth period), Kings Way scored on a 10-yard run and added the two-point conversion to take the lead 28-20 with just two minutes remaining. It seemed as the Eagles momentum in the game had stalled at this point.
On their final possession of the evening the Eagles set up for a pass play and a Crusader defender intercepted the pass attempt but then fumbled and freshman lineman Bryant Phillips picked the ball up and ran it all the way to the end zone for an Eagle score with just 49 seconds remaining in regulation. The crucial two-point conversion was good and the score was tied again at 28-28.
In the first overtime the Eagles won the coin toss and had first shot at the end zone from the 10-yard line. Andrew Phillips pushed his way across the goal line to score for the Eagles. The two-point conversion was no good. The score was 34-28.
Kings Way was next at the overtime attempt from the 10-yard line. The Crusaders were also able to find the end zone and attempted to kick the point after attempt, which missed wide. The score was tied at 34-34.
In the second overtime, Kings Way got possession first and this time the big Eagle defense rose to the occasion stuffing the Crusaders and keeping them from scoring on the four down attempt.
The Appling offense again took to the field and it appeared that the Eagles would fall short in the second overtime attempt, but on 4th down and 4 Andrew Phillips again answered the call and darted across the goal line for the final score of the night. Eagles win 40-34.
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