“I’m proud of our fight. It’s tough to come out and play in a mud pit like that. That’s a team that beat us 68-3 last year. We lost 8-12. That’s improvement as a program but it wasn’t a better team that beat us. It was a team that executed better in tough situations. We’ve got a lot we can learn and a lot we be proud of and can grow on,” said CCA Patriots head football coach Jed Marsh following the Patriots 12-8 loss to the Georgia Christian Generals Friday night in Douglas.
On a night when so many games across the region were cancelled or postponed because of weather, the Patriots and Generals were doing good to just get the game in. Just before kickoff, the South Georgia skies opened up and drenched Patriot Field. The shower didn’t last long but the damage was done. It was wet, muddy, slippery, and precarious.
The rain also knocked out the Patriots’ brand new scoreboard. Both teams had to play with no visible game clock, play clock, downs, timeouts, or score. It was a difficult task, particularly early in the year when neither team was in midseason form, made even more difficult by the post-rain humidity that hung in the air.
The Generals fared better in the first half, scoring one touchdown. They opted to go for two but did not convert. It was the only touchdown of the half and Georgia Christian took a 6-0 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Generals scored again. And once more, they went for two but were unsuccessful. They were up 12-0 over the Patriots, which felt like a much bigger lead than it actually was.
Near the end of the third quarter, CCA had its best scoring opportunity to that point in the game. They drove down to the Georgia Christian four and faced a 3rd and goal. They kept the ball on the ground and made it to the one-yard line. The Patriots decided to go for it on 4th and goal from the one but the Generals’ defense stiffened and stopped CCA just short of the goal line.
A play or two after Georgia Christian took possession, the third quarter expired and the teams flipped sides. Just a few seconds into the fourth quarter, the Patriot defense brought down a General in Georgia Christian’s own end zone for a safety.
Finally, after three scoreless quarters, CCA was on the board and had a little momentum.
They used that momentum to their advantage. On their ensuing possession, quarterback Sam Ables found Tyson Crosby for a 60-yard touchdown to get the Patriots to within four. CCA also went for two but couldn’t convert, either. With a lot of the fourth quarter remaining, the Patriots were trailing 12-8 but they had some life.
Unfortunately, a stingy Georgia Christian defense and the wet conditions won the day. CCA couldn’t capitalize on their fourth-quarter fortunes and overcome the deficit they were in. The Generals slipped out of Douglas – quite literally, given the mud and the muck – with a 12-8 victory.
“We’re going to be back here next week so I’ve got some field maintenance to do. But our guys are ready. We’ll be there,” said Coach Marsh.
It doesn’t get any easier for the 1-1 Patriots this coming week. The two-time reigning state champion Sherwood Christian Academy Eagles (Albany) will travel to Patriot Field for a Thursday night matchup. The two teams will play Thursday because of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30.