Creekside Football Shocks Defending 7A Champion Grayson
Grayson is a stranger to upsets. They are a well-coached program prepared to handle several scenarios. Just last season, they relied on Phil Mafah to stave off a Mill Creek upset bid. In fact, the last time the Rams lost to an unranked team in the regular season was all the way back in 2013, when they lost to Brookwood in overtime. Creekside football ended that drought on Friday night.
As the defending 7A state champions, Grayson was rightly favored in a matchup against Creekside, a team just four years removed from going 0-10. Add the benefit of home-field advantage, and this game sure seemed a lock for the Rams. However, Creekside struck first and led 6-0. They held the lead into the half.
Grayson owned the third quarter. They scored on a 2-yard rushing TD at 9:02 and followed that up with a 63-yard punt return TD with 6:53 left in the quarter. Despite the sluggish start, the reigning 7A titleholders seemed to find a groove. A win seemed almost certain when the Rams were knocking on the door of another touchdown at Creekside’s 4-yard line in the fourth quarter.
Then, disaster struck. Creekside’s Daiquan White stripped the ball at the goal line and returned it 100 yards, turning a possible 15-point hole into a manageable 2-point deficit.
From then on, momentum hung with the Seminoles. A fumbled Grayson snap with just over three minutes remaining in the game gave Creekside the ball in the redzone.
Just four plays later, Derrick White hauled in a NyQua Lett pass for the game-winning score. Creekside had knocked off the defending 7A state champions with a 19-14 road upset.
The game as a whole was one of disappointment for the Rams. They ended with only 72 yards of passing and failed to string together quality drives, especially when it counted. Mistakes were the Achilles heel for Grayson, as their two fumbles directly contributed to 13 Creekside points.
As for Creekside, this game was all about opportunities. They capitalized when it counted most, on turnovers uncharacteristic of a defending champion.
Mental willpower, although often overlooked, was a key contributor as well. The game-winning TD pass was completed on a fourth down with around a minute left against a Georgia powerhouse. This win will be one for the Seminole history books.
Creekside will have time to relax and prepare for their next football matchup (versus Westlake) with a bye week. Grayson will play a McEachern team next week that blew out Kell in the Corky Kell Classic. The Rams will need a short-term memory and mental focus to avoid another home upset against the Indians.
Written by: Dhruv Mohan
