ATHENS — A Flowery Branch defense that had been standing tall almost all night had one more stop left in the tank.

Make that two.

Moments after making a midfield defensive stand that at first appeared to ice the game, the Falcons punted and then made sure a 50-yard pass on the final play proved harmless, and Flowery Branch escaped Clarke Central with a 28-21 win Friday at Billy Henderson Stadium.

Flowery Branch (4-3, 3-3 Region 8-AAAAA) won for the third time in four games and that’s all that really matters after a heart-stopping final ticks off the clock.

“I’ll take a win however we can get it,” Falcons coach Chris Griffin said. “I’m pleased with our guys. I felt like we had a good plan. Made some mistakes. Definitely had some things that we didn’t do well, but overall I felt like we played hard and took advantage of some of their mistakes, and that’s the key.”

Trey Wilcoxson rushed for 96 yards, Cortez Davis scored twice and the Falcons added two defensive scores to help make the 40-mile trip worthwhile. Two-way lineman and kicker Jesus Alvarado was responsible for both defensive scores, diving on a loose ball in the end zone in the first quarter and making a tackle for a safety in the second quarter.

Alvarado lined up at right tackle on the play he made the tackle for a safety.

“I just saw a bad snap and I was like, ‘I might as well run for it and see what happens,’” Alvarado said.

Flowery Branch never trailed but couldn’t put it away until the very end. The Falcons seemed to have it in the bag after stopping the Gladiators on downs late in the fourth. That series featured a Dylan Connell sack on second down, Anthony Woodall hurry on third down and Kyle King deflection on fourth down, and the Falcons got the ball back with 2:07 remaining.

Three kneel-downs and a punt later, Flowery Branch gave Clarke Central four seconds, just enough for one more desperation play.

“I don’t think we executed our victory offense like we needed to, so that will definitely be something that will be addressed,” Griffin said.

Jack Mangel threw deep and connected with Marcus Dalton for a 50-yard gain to the Flowery Branch 13, but Trey McIntosh immediately made the game-saving tackle and the Falcons breathed a sigh of relief. A touchdown and extra point would have sent the game to overtime. A touchdown and two-point conversion would have completed an improbable Clarke Central rally.

Flowery Branch outgained Clarke Central 266-233. Falcons quarterback Kory Graham passed for 93 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 38 yards. Davis caught five passes for 79 yards, including the touchdown from Graham — a 60-yarder. Davis also scored a rushing touchdown for the Falcons, who host region opponent Apalachee next week.

Workhorse running back Jaqua Daniels gained 144 yards on 15 carries and scored twice for Clarke Central (2-4, 2-3), which hosts Gainesville next week.

Falcons 28, Gladiators 21

Difference maker: Flowery Branch two-way lineman Jesus Alvarado not only recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown but also tackled a Clarke Central runner in the end zone for a safety. He also kicked two extra points.

Stat that matters: Two Clarke Central fumbles. Both led to Falcons touchdowns, one directly in the end zone and the other 15 yards away from pay dirt.

Turning point: Quarterback Cortez Davis’ 4-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put Flowery Branch ahead 28-14 with 10:49 remaining, giving the Falcons the cushion they needed to close it out.

Up next: Flowery Branch is home against Apalachee on Friday; Clarke Central plays host to Gainesville