Hurricanes blow over Tigers 20-13

For the past few weeks, Flomaton head football coach Doug Vickery has talked about the resiliency the 2018 Hurricanes have. He talked about it when Flomaton overcame a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter Oct. 19 to defeat Thomasville 43-42. When he gathered his coaches and players, and a crowd of happy fans, on the 50-yard line this past Friday night following Flomaton's 20-13 win over T.R. Miller he talked about the team's resiliency again.

Flomaton starting quarterback, who accounted for 483 yards of total offense against Thomasville the week before, was injured late in the second quarter against T.R. Miller and did not play in the second half. The game was put in the hands of Da'Shun Odom who scored on a 68-yard run with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter and kicked the PAT to tie the game at 13-13.

With 3:02 left in the game, Odom mishandled the shotgun snap and the ball hit the ground. Odom scooped up the ball and found Jate'vius Franking just inside the end zone for the touchdown. Odom added the PAT kick and the Canes stormed to the 20-13 win.

The win clinched the second seed in the region and Flomaton will open the Class 3A playoffs and will host Montgomery Academy in the opening round.

Flomaton will wrap up the regular season this Friday night by hosting Southern Choctaw.

"Awesome football game," Coach Vickery said of Friday night's win over T.R. Miller. "The good Lord has blessed our football team this season. Without him, none of this would have been possible."

Vickery said he and he coaching staff began seeing the potential of a special team during the spring.

"This team has so much heart," Vickery said. "They show so much resiliency and are such a close group. I knew back in the spring we had something special with the brotherhood and how they cared for each other. I knew we had a special group of young men."

Vickery said after the Hurricanes beat Escambia County High School in Atmore on Sept. 28 the team got a little bit complacent.

"I feel like losing to Bayside at home was something that kind of woke us up," he added. "Since that time we've played with a lot of heart. They didn't believe the could lose a game and played hard and played with a lot of momentum and confidence. It feels great for the kids and the community to be county champs."

He said the 2018 Hurricanes made history with big wins over Atmore, Thomasville and T.R. Miller, noting the last time Flomaton beat T.R. Miller was 55 years ago.

He said that resiliency really showed Friday night when Johnson went down with an injury in such an important game.

"Losing your starting quarterback at halftime and still being able to come back and win the game was special," Vickery said. "They just won't quit."

Flomaton received the opening kickoff Friday against T.R. Miller and quickly got into the end zone when Johnson hit Devonta Bradley on a 58-yard touchdown pass. The PAT failed, but Flomaton had the early 6-0 lead with 9:07 left in the first quarter.

T.R. Miller cracked the scoreboard with 2:18 left in the first quarter when quarterback Blake Jernigan hit Jordan Hails on a 30-yard touchdown pass. Matt Morgan added the PAT and T.R. Miller led 7-6, which is how the first quarter came to a close.

Flomaton was able to drive deep in the T.R. Miller territory in the second quarter before Johnson fumbled and the Tigers took over at their own 7-yard line with 9:59 left in the first half. Flomaton's defense held and forced a punt which gave the Hurricanes a first down at the T.R. Miller 37 with 8:21 left in the game.

Facing a third and 15 situation, Johnson broke free for an apparent touchdown only to see the play called back on an illegal blocking call that moved the ball back into Flomaton territory.

T.R. Miller's Jalen Walker intercepted a Johnson pass and Miller was back in business at its own 39-yard line. Jernigan hit Kadarius Jenkins for a first down at the Flomaton 45 and Narkavis Campbell picked up a first down at the 33 with 3:45 left in the first half.

Facing a fourth and 11, Jernigan hit Jalen Walker for a first down at the 9.

Jernigan was sacked back to the 18 and faced fourth and goal at the 9-yard line with 2.5 seconds left in the half. Following a T.R. Miller timeout, a 26-yard field goal attempt by Morgan turned into a 21-yard attempt after Flomaton jumped offsides.

Morgan drilled the field goal as the game clock hit all zeroes and T.R. Miller took the 10-6 lead into the lockerroom at the half.

The end of the first half would be the last time Johnson would take the field for the Hurricanes. In the first half, Johnson had 56 yards rushing on 10 carries and hit on 15 passes for 61 yards for a total effort of 117 yards.

T.R. Miller was held and forced to punt on its first possession of the second half and pinned the Canes back to their own 10-yard line on a punt.

Da'Shun Odom, Flomaton's starting wide receiver, then trotted on the field to take over the quarterbacking duties for the Hurricanes.

With a combination of runs and passes and a late hit on T.R. Miller, Flomaton moved to a first down at its own 48-yard line. Odom then carried for first downs at the T.R. Miller 35 and 25.

Flomaton faced fourth and 3 at the 18 and the Miller defense held to take over the ball. A personal foul against the Hurricanes gave the Tigers the ball at their own 42-yard line.

T.R. Miller moved into Flomaton territory at the 36 and later converted a fourth down play to move deeper into Hurricane territory. Orlando Gandy picked up a first down at the 19. T.R. Miller had gotten to the 9 only to see a holding penalty back the Tigers up into a second and 20 situation at the 29.

Ke'von Samuel moved the ball to the 18 before Morgan kicked a 35-yard field goal and with 1:34 left in the third quarter T.R. Miller led 13-6.

Following a pooch kick, Flomaton began its next drive at its own 33. Facing a fourth and 2 at the 41, Odom ran for a first down at the 43 as the third quarter came to an end with T.R. Miller leading 13-6.

Zeb Vickery started the fourth quarter at quarterback for the Hurricanes but after three incomplete passes Flomaton's Evan Tatum punted and T.R. Miller had the ball at its own 28 with 11:31 left in the game with a seven point lead.

The Tigers picked up a first down at the 41 and then picked up a first down at the Flomaton 45.

T.R. Miller was flagged for holding on first down to be put in a first and 20 situation and the Tigers went backwards. The Tigers eventually punted and Flomaton took over at its own 9-yard line. After offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Hurricanes and the Tigers, Flomaton began at its own 9-yard line with 5:38 left to play and trailing by a touchdown.

Vickery's first down pass was incomplete and Odom returned behind center. On third down, Odom was stopped short of the first down marker, but T.R. Miller was hit with a facemask penalty and Flomaton had a first down at its own 32 with 5:16 left to play.

From the shotgun, Odom went right up the middle and raced 68 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. Odom added the PAT kick and with 5:04 left in the game, it was all tied up at 13-13.

After the kickoff T.R. Miller took over at its own 16 and was facing a third and 10 situation. Jernigan was flushed from the pocket, hit and fumbled the football. Flomaton's Micah Boyette fell on the ball to give Flomaton a first down at the T.R. Miller 14-yard line.

From the shotgun, Odom dropped the snap. He picked up the loose ball and scrambled to his right before he found Franklin on the busted play just inside the end zone for the touchdown pass.

Odom kicked the PAT and with 3:02 Flomaton led 20-13.

T.R. Miller was flagged for a personal foul on the PAT attempt and Flomaton kicked off from the T.R. Miller 45-yard line.

The Tigers began their drive at their own 18 with 2:54 left in the game.

Jernigan connected on a screen pass for a first down at the 42. On second down, Flomaton's Jonathan Jones made a great open field tackle in the flats to put T.R. Miller in a third and 4 situation.

Flomaton's defense stuffed T.R. Miller on the third down play to set up a fourth and 6 at the T.R. Miller 46 with 1:44 left in the game.

Following a timeout, T.R. Miller picked up a first down at the Flomaton 45. On first down the Tigers were flagged for holding and the Tigers were facing a first and 20 from the 43 with the seconds clicking off the clock. Flomaton's defense held as the clock ran out, securing Flomaton's 20-13 victory.