Heading into Friday’s second round Class AAAA playoff contest at The Battlefield in Tyrone, Sandy Creek Head Coach Chip Walker was doing his best to hide a not-so-secret fact from himself -- in nine tries, the Patriots had never advanced past the second round of the state playoffs.
“It’s not something we talked about, but I think it was in the back of everybody’s minds,” Walker said after the game Friday.
But with Creek’s thrilling 17-14 victory over Tucker, the Patriots coach will never again have to answer questions about “the second round curse.”
“It’s a huge win for this program, everyone here will remember this one for a long time,” Walker exclaimed.
The monkey is off their backs; the weight has been lifted from the team’s collective shoulders -- use whatever catch-phrase you want, but the fact is the Sandy Creek Patriots are headed to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history and the defending state champs from Tucker will watch the rest of the playoffs from the stands.
Creek’s win Friday wasn’t powered by the team’s usual weapons. Tailback Rajion Neal couldn’t get much going on the ground, the offense stuttered more often than not and the usually excellent Creek defense allowed Tucker to pile up 144 yards on the ground and another 112 through the air.
What the Patriots did do right was find a way to win. And at this point in the season, that’s the only thing that matters.
Four key second half special teams plays led directly to the Patriots’ victory.
After Tucker shocked the home fans by shutting out Creek 7-0 in the first half, the Patriots’ Zach Lopez lined up to kick it away to begin the third.
Tucker star running back Rendell Wilder fielded the kick and was hit immediately by Creek special teamers Chaz Johnston and Mike Hilton. The ball squirted loose and bounced into the endzone where the Patriots’ Matt Overstreet recovered the ball. Lopez’s ensuing point after tied the game at seven.
Just minutes later, Creek defenders forced the Tigers to go three and out for the first and only time all night.
Defensive back Bruce Dukes stood near his own 30, waiting for the punt. He fielded it near the home sideline and burst down field for the go-ahead 74 yard touchdown return, electrifying the home crowd.
Tucker tied it with a 14 play, 84 yard scoring drive to end the third. After a Sandy Creek punt, the Tigers began to march down field again in the fourth, but stalled at the Creek 39 when linebacker Mike Spalding corralled Wilder in the backfield on third and five.
Tucker, confident in a defense that had allowed just 137 yards through three and a half quarters, came out in the punt formation. However, Creek caught a break. The snap sailed over the punter’s head and landed all the way back at the Tucker 25 yard line.
“It was nice to catch some breaks on special teams,” Walker said.
“While we were looking at film, we knew that we would need to win the special teams battle to stay in this game.”
The Patriots then milked over five and a half minutes off of the clock, pushing the ball all the way down to the Tucker one yard line.
Rather than take another shot at Tucker’s formidable front line, Walker elected to take a delay of game penalty (which Tucker surprisingly accepted) to give Lopez a better angle at a short field goal.
The senior kicker did not disappoint. The ball came off his foot clean and high, soaring through the uprights.
“That was a great snap, a great hold and a great kick by Zach,” Walker explained.
“He’s been a real asset this season. I think he’s seven for eight or eight for nine on field goal tries.”
Lopez’s go-ahead kick came just inside three minutes, leaving the Tigers with plenty of time to get down the field and try for the tie or the win. For a few plays, it looked like they might do just that, but Creek’s defense won the battle.
Tucker quarterback Norman Hayes’ fourth down fling from the Patriot 29 fell incomplete with 27 seconds showing on the clock.
Patriots quarterback Ronnie Bell then trotted out and took a knee, sending Creek to round three.
“It was a total team effort,” Walker said as fans parents and fellow coaches crowded the field to congratulate the Creek players and coaches after the game.
“That’s what we preach: play as a team. We’re just proud of the way everyone came out and performed.”
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