Phoenix end the year with a road win
The Sonoraville High School football team did its part Friday night.
But it appears the Phoenix will still come up short regarding making the upcoming AAA Georgia High School state playoffs.
Using several big pass plays and then a Hayden Ross 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the final three minutes, Sonoraville closed the regular season with a 48-18 road win over Coahulla Creek in Dalton in both teams’ Region 6 finale as well.
The win pushed the Phoenix to 4-4 in Region play but they finish the season in fifth place, a game behind North Murray for the final playoff spot in the Region.
The Mountaineers defeated LaFayette 30-21 Friday night to finish 5-3 in the Region and secure that fourth seed.
For the Phoenix, the win at the Creek was still a great way to close the year with sophomore quarterback Jaxon Pate throwing for nearly 400 yards and five touchdown passes against a Colts team trying to finish .500 for the first time in school history.
The Firebirds were in a rhythm offensively from the get-go against the Colts, scoring a touchdown on its first possession and never slowing down.
The Creek punted the first time it had the ball, giving the Phoenix the ball at the CC 38. They picked up one first down and then converted a fourth-and-inches just past midfield on a Wyatt Springfield 7-yard burst to keep moving.
After two short runs, Pate scampered 31 yards on a keeper to put the visitors at the Creek 3.
Four plays later on fourth-and-goal, after a penalty negated a score, junior Brant Bryant carried it for a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:27 left in the first period. Ivan Agua made the first of his six extra points and Sonoraville led 7-0.
From there, Pate began finding receivers of the big play variety as the Phoenix just kept building on their lead.
The hosts got as close as they would all night by answering the Phoenix touchdown with their first as well, but Bryant blocked the extra point attempt, preserving a 7-6 lead.
But about 30 seconds later, junior Zach Lyles weaved his way through the Creek defense for a 74-yard touchdown on a screen pass and the visitors led 14-6 with 6:38 remaining in the second quarter.
They would hold that lead at halftime, missing a 27-yard field attempt on the final play of the half.
But they came right back to open the third period with Pate first connecting with Nicholas Beddington on a 41-yard pass and then Bryant turned a short aerial into a 38-yard touchdown. After Agua made another PAT, the lead was 21-6 with 10:36 left in the third.
The Creek answered with a touchdown to make it 21-12, but on the third play of the ensuring drive, Pate found Bryant again, this time for a 64-yard score that made it 27-12.
They would add 21 points in the fourth quarter with two of the three touchdowns through the air as first Lyles had a 24-yard catch and then Beddington pulled in a 29-yard reception.
The defense later got in on the scoring act with Creek fumbling at the Sonoraville 5 and sophomore Hayden Ross picking up the ball and racing 95 yards to put an exclamation point on the win.
Sonoraville ends the year at 6-4 overall.