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Heading into the locker room down 6-0, Winters Mill coach Matt Miller was not happy with his team’s first-half performance Thursday against Francis Scott Key.
“They had a couple of guys on the D-line that were constantly making plays,” Miller said. “They were whipping our butts up front. We had to better execute our assignments.”
The Falcons, responded, rebounded and executed when it mattered the most, going on a 10-play 80-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown. Caleb Crouch hit Ahren Jones in the end zone as time expired, Kamdyn Koch converted the winning extra point on an untimed play, and the Falcons escaped with the 7-6 road victory against Francis Scott Key.
“Our offensive coordinator does a great job of stringing the plays together,” Miller said. “We were able to take advantage of some space with our receivers and getting the ball up the field.”
Crouch was under heavy pressure all day, but stepped up in the final minutes. The senior found Jones in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal, clinching the win in thrilling fashion.
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Jones jumped in front of two FSK defenders to secure the 8-yard catch and the game for the Falcons. What looked like a Hail Mary to some, was actually the result of years of practice reps the two have shared.
“My teammates and I have worked hard this whole offseason,” Jones said. “We built chemistry during practice and when we game was on the line, we just had to go out there and get it.”
The game-winning drive was spearheaded by Koch. After being held without a catch, the Nebraska commit made two key grabs on the drive, putting the Falcons in position to strike during the game’s final moments. Koch was mobbed by his teammates after kicking the game-winning extra point.
“We just had to come out and play as hard as we can,” he said. “We knew we could beat this team. We just had to show what we can do.”
After Keyondre Groomes rushed for a touchdown with 30 seconds left in the first half, the Eagles were held scoreless the rest of the way. Numerous FSK penalties either halted offensive drives or extended Winters Mill’s late in the game.
After putting up over 30 points in their first two wins on the season, Thursday’s one-point win showed the Falcons can win shootouts and close dogfights as they improve to 3-0 on the season. With the Century Knights coming into town next week, coach Miller was optimistic about the team’s ability to win big and ugly.
“Whether you win by one or win by 30, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “It counts the same.”