FHS suffers 26-21 loss; playoff bound

Three turnovers, 105 yards in penalties and two touchdowns nullified by penalties were too much for Flomaton to overcome Friday night in the final regular season game as Southern Choctaw defeated the Hurricanes 26-21.

The loss dropped the Hurricanes to 7-3 on the season as they prepare to open the Class 3A state playoffs this Friday night at home buy hosting Montgomery Academy. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"Way too many mistakes," said Flomaton head football coach Doug Vickery. "I don't feel like we were focused on the game. We were coming off some every emotional games against Mobile Christian, Thomasville and T.R. Miller and we seemed to have lost our focus."

Vickery said not having starting quarterback Daquan Johnson at full strength hurt, but gave the credit to the Southern Choctaw Indians.

"They have a very good football team," Vickery said. "They had the best running backs we've played against all year."

One of those backs was Javonta Foster who rushed 20 times for 85 yards which included a 94-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Johnson, who was injured in the second quarter of the T.R. Miller game, played sparingly but Vickery said he expects him to be at full speed Friday night.

"It's a new season," he said. "We'll bounced back. It's do or die from this point forward."

Flomaton alternated Da'Shun Odom, Devonta Bradley and Johnson at quarterback throughout the night.

Flomaton scored an apparent touchdown on Odom's 35-yard run early in the first quarter but holding penalty took the points off the scoreboard.

But the Hurricanes rebounded and Odom found the end zone again from 20-yards out. Johnson then hit Chance James for two points and with 8:09 left in the first, Flomaton led 8-0.

The Southern Choctaw recovered an onsides kick and began their first drive from their own 49-yard line. The Indians took advantage of the good field position and connected on a 49-yard touchdown pass. The PAT kick was good and with 6:29 left in the first quarter, Flomaton led 8-7.

Flomaton moved to the Choctaw County 37-yard line on its next possession but went backwards. Facing a fourth and 14, Johnson was sacked and the Indians took over at their own 44-yard line as the first quarter came to a close with Flomaton clinging to the one-point lead.

Choctaw County marched toward the Flomaton goal line. A personal foul against the Hurricanes had the Indians knocking at the door with a second down situation at the 5-yard line.

Deontae McGrew took in into the end zone from there. The Indians converted the two-point play and with 10:11 left in the first half, Choctaw County led 14-8.

Helped by a pass interference call, Flomaton moved into Indian territory at the 44-yard line. Johnson hit Quincie McCall for a first down at the 34.

Bradley lined up at quarterback and picked up a first down at the 20 and took the snap again and raced to the end zone. Odom added the PAT kick and with 6:20 left in the first half, Flomaton led 15-14, which held until halftime.

Foster put the Indians back ahead with 8:17 left in the third on a 6-yard run. The two-point try failed, but Southern Choctaw led 20-15.

On its next possession, Flomaton had reached the Choctaw County 13-yard line but an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Canes had Flomaton facing a first and 9 situation at the 28.

The Canes faced a fourth and 4 from the 6-yard line but Odom's fourth-down pass fell incomplete and Choctaw County took over on downs at its own 6-yard line.

Foster then broke through the line and out sprinted the Flomaton defense to the end zone on a 94-yard touchdown run. The PAT was no good, but the Indians stretched the lead to 26-15 with 3:45 left in the third quarter.

Flomaton answered when Odom scored on a 43-yard run. The two-point try failed, but with 39.9 seconds left in the third, Flomaton had closed the gap to 26-21.

McCall intercepted a Southern Choctaw pass and Flomaton had a new set of downs at the Indians' 48-yard line with 11:50 left in the game. Facing a third and 4 at the 29, Johnson scored an apparent touchdown, but again the points were taken off the board due to a holding penalty. The Canes were able to the 6-yard line, but fumbled and Southern Choctaw took over at its own 12.

With 3:13 left in the game, Flomaton punted on a fourth and 9 situation and had the Indians backed up at the 4-yard line.

On third and 8, a Southern Choctaw run forced the chain crew onto the field. The Indians had converted the first down by inches and was able to run out the clock for the 26-21 victory.

On the night, Flomaton rushed 37 times for 207 yards with Odom picking up 133 yards on 16 carries. The Hurricanes connected on six of 17 passes for 94 yards for a total offensive effort of 301.

Southern Choctaw, led by Foster's 185 yards, rushed 30 times for 201 yards and hit on two of nine passes for 56 yards for a total effort of 257.

Flomaton was flagged 10 times for 105 yards and the Indians were flagged 12 times for 115 yards.