Rams go for 2, wind up as 1-point winner over Pats

Lake Mary quarterback Gunnar Smith hit wide receiver Sterle Scott for a successful twopoint conversion attempt as the Rams erased a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Lake Brantley 15-14 on Thursday night.

The wild finish capped adramatic season opener for two Sentinel Super 16 teams. Lake Mary came in ranked No. 13, one spot ahead of the Patriots.

The successful conversion attempt was preceded by Smith finding running back Marquis Jones for a 14-yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the contest. Jones eluded multiple Patriots defenders en route to the end zone.

The gutsy play call to go for the win was a product of cramping issues and Smith taking a late hit out of bounds on the eventual game-winning drive.

“We had five guys cramping in the fourth [quarter], and I talked it over with my coaches and my gut is we go for two,” Rams coach Scott Perry said. “We got momentum and I don’t want to put the ball on the 10-[yard line] and give them a shot at it and give them momentum and lose that.

“We knew what we were going to do if we scored. The kids made the plays.”

Lake Mary (1-0) struggled to move the ball most of the game.

The Rams couldn’t click on offense for three quarters and showed signs of rust. However, the offense finally got on track early in the final quarter. Smith found Jones for a 50-yard touchdown pass to trim the deficit to 14-7 with 8 minutes, 44 seconds left in the contest.

The Rams defense got key stops down the stretch, setting up the wild finish.

Lake Brantley (0-1) was led by running back Anthony Williams, who had 26 carries for 189 yards and two scores. Williams also added a 39-yard pass that set up his second score of the night.

Lake Brantley jumped out to a 14-0 lead as the Patriots’ runheavy option offense controlled time of possession. Williams was able to gash Lake Mary between the tackles and quarterback Noah Hudak kept the opposing defense off balance with timely handoffs and pitches to his backs or quarterback keepers.

However, Williams was unable to convert a fourth-and-2 late in the contest, leading to Smith’s heroics on the eventual game-winning drive.

Lake Mary trails 23-15 in a series once dominated by Brantley. But Thursday marked its fifth consecutive win against the Patriots.