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There is a moment in every high school football season where the mettle of a team is tested and a program is left with two choices: to roll the dice win or lose, or to call it a night and go home.
Flowery Branch found themselves in such a situation, down 51-47 and backed up to fourth-and-20 with less than a minute left in the game against West Forsyth. Falcons’ coach Lee Shaw rolled the dice and put the ball in his quarterback, and son, Connor Shaw’s hands. He didn’t disappoint. The Falcons’ senior quarterback hit Robby Boudreau for a game-winning 42-yard touchdown to end the contest with a score of 54-51.
The win secured the Falcons (7-2, 4-0 7B-AAA) a spot in the playoffs and eliminated the Wolverines (4-4, 2-2) from postseason consideration.
“That last play was an unbelievable play,” said Connor who was as awestruck by the win as anyone. “It was a miracle. We got out there and it was fourth-and-20. We were like ‘Wow, this game’s over.’”
Connor, a verbal commitment to South Carolina, rifled in four touchdowns throwing for 324 yards to exceed the 2,000-yard mark for the season with 2,024 yards, 224.9 yards per game, and rushed for 75 yards and three touchdowns.
But the senior didn’t care much for numbers. “I’m just glad we won to be honest with you. I didn’t care about the stats,” he stated.
Not everyone was happy with Connor’s last-minute gallantry.
“I thought (Shaw) was across the line (of scrimmage) there at the end and (the referees) didn’t call it, so that’s what we’ve got to go with,” said West Forsyth’s coach Frank Hepler after the game. “We outplayed them, we outcoached them, we did every phase of the game...We can’t help another factor.”
After additional review, Hepler recanted his statements and said the refs “got it right” in an interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “As a coach, you always want to see things go your team’s way. But they got this one right,” Hepler said of the controversial last-minute play.
When asked about the Falcons upcoming game against the No. 1-ranked Gainesville team coach Shaw said: “We’re trying to concentrate on what we do and get better within that. We’re very familiar with what each other does and it’ll just come down to guys making plays on the field.”
The Falcons have a bye Friday and will visit the Red Elephants (7-0, 3-0) at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at Bobby Gruhn Field in Gainesville.
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