I was standing on the sidelines at Mercedes-Benz, staring across the field at the scoreboard. The Coffee Trojans were leading the Creekside Seminoles 24-14. It was the fourth quarter with 7:30 remaining in the game. The Seminoles had just scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Vinson Berry to Shane Kelley and the Seminoles were teeing up the ball to kick to the Trojans.
And I was scared. Terrified in fact.
Coffee had dominated Creekside in the first half. The Trojans had taken a 21-0 lead into the locker room and, quite honestly, it wasn’t even that close. It appeared that an anti-climactic second half would follow.
Creekside, however, had other plans. Though they didn’t score in the first half, the Seminoles finished the second quarter with a flurry. Their fourth and final possession of the half started with just 40 seconds left. Berry and company ripped off three first downs in a row and moved into Coffee territory in a hurry. Trojan defensive back Anthony Paulk made a good play blocking Berry’s next to last pass of the quarter. His final throw fell incomplete in the end zone.
But Creekside was set to receive the kick to open the third quarter and the Seminoles had some momentum. After a mere 19 seconds into the second half, we had a very different game. Creekside took the kick to the Coffee 39. On the first play from scrimmage, Berry and Kelley connected for their first touchdown of the game. Just like that, the Seminoles were down 21-7 and the second half looked like it might be more of a shootout than a Coffee rout.
The Trojans answered with a long drive that ended with an enormous 40-yard field goal by Jonah Saylor. When the ball sailed through the goal posts, those three points felt like 10. For some reason, to me at least, 24-7 made me feel a lot more comfortable than maybe I should have.
The field goal came with 6:53 remaining in the third quarter. There was still a quarter and a half to play and Creekside maintained some momentum. I allowed myself to get lulled into a false sense of security when the Seminoles drove 79 yards to the Coffee six yard line on their second possession. The Trojan defense was the best in the state this year and here they proved their mettle. Berry and his offense stalled at the six and couldn’t go anywhere. Facing a fourth and goal from the six, they went for it and didn’t convert.
The Trojans took over deep in their own territory but ran into a buzzsaw. The Seminoles stopped Coffee and forced the first punt of the night. Berry and his troops took over on their own 31 for their third possession of the half. They advanced to their own 48 where they had to deal with another fourth down. This time, though, they made it.
By now we were in the fourth quarter. 7:42 remained on the clock and the Seminoles were in a great spot They didn’t waste the opportunity. Berry and Kelley connected again for the aforementioned 40-yard score to get within 10 of the Trojans.
The Seminoles had shown they could stop the Coffee offense. If they got the ball back with over 7:00 left and scored quickly, they would almost be guaranteed to get the ball back in a what would then be a one-possession game.
And that was why I was scared.
My mind raced back to 1976. I covered almost five decades in what felt like an instant. It wasn’t difficult — I’ve replayed many of those same scenes many, many times over the years.
The near misses. The almost wins. The crazy plays. The shocking endings. The inexplicable and un-explainable ways the Trojans have lost big games in the past. Ware in 1976. Warner Robins in 1981. Valdosta and that fog in 1982. 1989 and 1990. Six losses to Colquitt in three years (1992-1994). All those 7-3 and 8-2 seasons when we didn’t make the playoffs. Kell in 2015. Lee in 2017. Cartersville in 2020 — to name but a few.
Sometimes the Trojans just seem snake bitten. Those thoughts were zipping through my mind while the butterflies in my stomach were having a block party.
Creekside kicked. We returned the ball to our own 26 and lined up with 7:22 remaining — an eternity in this particular situation. The Seminoles stuffed us on three straight downs and we had to punt. The kick was solid and backed up Creekside to their own 37.
This was it. What happened over the next few minutes would determine the outcome of the game.
The Seminoles started moving. They were making progress but the clock was running and Creekside was losing valuable time. With 4:25 left, the Seminoles went for it — and made it — on fourth and one. They moved to the Coffee 42.
It was all I could do to keep my eyes on the field. I wanted to turn away. Close my eyes. Do anything except watch what was about to unfold. Fifty-three years of history weren’t on our side.
Then, like a rattlesnake stalking its prey, the defense struck. Lorenzo Harvey sacked Berry on second down. The sack pushed the Seminoles across the 50 into their own territory. Now third and seventeen, Berry completed a pass across the middle but a holding call brought it back and took another 10 yards to boot. On third and twenty-seven, it was Iverson Gifford’s turn. He dropped Berry for another sack that drove Creekside back to their own 34 and stuck them with a fourth and thirty-four.
This was the moment. Someone was going to make a play for the ages; would it be Berry or one of the waiting Trojans on the other side of the ball? Less than 3:00 remained and Creekside’s window was closing quickly. But there was still time.
My butterflies had invited friends over. I was almost paralyzed with fear.
Berry dropped back, scrambled, and launched a pass toward his sideline. Coffee’s Jayden Hancock jumped in front of the ball and snatched it out of the air. He ran a few yards toward the end zone before sliding into the turf to stop the play. The Trojans had the ball on the Creekside 38 with 2:32 left in the game.
But the Trojans weren’t done. Fred Brown broke a 30-yard run to the eight. A play or two later, Maurice Hansley slashed his way into the end zone for the final score of the night.
Only three seconds remained.
It was over. Coffee had won.
It was then and only then that my fears ended. For a moment I didn’t know what to do. There were no more opponents to play. No more “Wait ’till next year.” No more excuses.
The season was over and the Coffee Trojans were state champions for the first time in school history. It was only then that I realized just how scared I had been.
Yes, that last 7:30 ranks among the most terrifying moments of my life. And I loved every minute of it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7xda9GGPB0c