FOOTBALL: Falcons can’t overcome slow start in comeback bid at ACE

By MICHAEL A. LOUGH, for the Macon Melody

After a solid first half for the ACE Gryphons and a surprisingly potent second half from the East Laurens Falcons, the Gryphons managed to hold on for a 27-21 win Friday night on Homecoming at Perkins Field.

ACE improved to 4-3 overall and 3-3 in GHSA Region 2-A/Division I while East Laurens fell to 2-4 and 1-4.

East Laurens couldn’t get anything going early and spent much of the first part of the night behind the chains.

ACE Charter didn’t do a whole lot better, despite spending nearly the entire first half on East Laurens’ side of the field. The Gryphons, in fact, snapped it only six times on their half of the field, including a knee at the end of the half.

The Gryphons broke the worst scoring slump under head coach Keith Hatcher early, but pretty much muddled through the rest of the way. ACE scored only three points in its last two games, falling 46-0 to Northeast and 48-3 to Dublin.

“Coming into the game, our coaching staff (thought), as long as I’ve been here, this is the biggest game, the most critical game as far as where we’re going as a program, after what happened to us the last two weeks,” Hatcher said. “We felt this was a game we had to win. I’m so happy our guys were able to do that.”

East Laurens rallied from 17-0 to get within four in the third quarter, sparked by big-armed and elusive quarterback Tylan Snead.

The Falcons started off at midfield, thanks to a low shanked punt that went three yards. Snead, who had 10 straight incompletions in the first half, was 2 for 2 for 41 yards on the scoring drive that he finished from the 2 midway through the third.

East Laurens went 58 yards on nine plays on its next possession, marred by only one penalty. Snead completed all three passes, for 24 yards, including the 8-yard touchdown to Kemo Mitchell, and just like that, it was a four-point game.

Not for long.

“We’ve been telling ‘em all week, ‘Don’t kick the ball to 7,’” East Laurens head coach Jesse Hicks said. “And we kept kicking the frickin’ ball to 7.”

And the Falcons paid. Brice Whitley, No. 7, got the deep kickoff, and weaved 85 yards for the touchdown.

“Our best player made a play when we gotta have it,” Hatcher said. “That was the difference in the game.”

East Laurens went three and out, the Gryphons stalling and settling for Henry Carter’s second field goal, of 41 yards, for a 27-13 lead with 4:25 left in the game.

But Snead scrambled and connected with Major Floyd, uncovered down the right side for 45 yards, and the Falcons scored on a 3-yard pass to Bryson Hazley with 2:13 left.

“(Snead) is as good as any player we play all year,” Hatcher said of the senior who ran for 44 yards and passed for 153. “That kid’s a special player.”

Whitley recovered the onside kick and got it to the 42-yardline. Sawyer Raugh went for 27, 1 and 11 yards to seal it.

The Gryphons had already gone through two running backs this season, losing both to injury, and tryouts weren’t going too well. But Raugh’s abbreviated performance put a twinkle in Hatcher’s eye.

“I think we found our guy,” Hatcher said. “That’s our starting linebacker. Has never taken a snap at running back in his life until tonight.” 

The end of the second quarter was a test of patience for both sides. 

In the final 2:11, East Laurens had the ball three times and ACE had the ball three times, the Gryphons throwing interceptions on consecutive plays and the Falcons going through a few near-miss plays on some long passes.

Finally, the homecoming festivities at halftime dressed up the field a good bit after a pretty ugly first half.

East Laurens went backward as much as forward for a while, having at least one negative play or more on every possession in the first half except one.

Despite so much field position, ACE didn’t do much. The Gryphons scored on their first trip, which did start on their side of the field. Ace Hatcher connected with Whitley – who made a nice play in front of a defender – for a 61-yard score at the 8:29 mark of the first quarter.

Then they started on East Laurens’ 43, lost a yard, and punted. Then they started on the Falcons’ 31, went backwards, and missed a 51-yard field goal, just left..

ACE began on East Laurens’ 27, gained four yards, and settled for a 40-yard field goal at the 9:07 mark of the second quarter for an 11-0 lead. The Gryphons took over on East Laurens’ 35, and needed seven plays to score, Hatcher firing a fastball to Noah Syne for the 16-yard score with 4:42 left in the half.

 Then the teams started muddling around and delaying the homecoming contest at halftime.

“It was working, we just weren’t finishing,” Hatcher said. “We played our best half of defensive football that we’ve played all year.

“I’m proud of the way our guys overcame the momentum and adversity in the second half.”