Deerfield-Windsor advances to state semifinals with 18-14 win

ALBANY — The Deerfield-Windsor Knights advanced to the semifinals of the Class AAA state football playoffs Friday night with an 18-14, come-from-behind win over Frederica Academy at Webb Memorial Stadium on Deerfield-Windsor’s campus.

“I’ve never been more proud of a team,” said Deerfield-Windsor head coach Jake McCrae. “Down 14-0 with a freshman quarterback and the kids stayed calm and never strayed from our game plan. We grew up a lot tonight and that is a heck of a team at Frederica with a lot of heart and talent.”

Freshman Lane Sceals started at quarterback for the Knights because Deerfield-Windsor’s record-setting quarterback Thomas Ray was injured two weeks ago and will not play football again this season. Ray, who is also a point guard for the basketball team and the shortstop for the baseball team, said he hoped to be well toward the end of basketball season, but should definitely be ready to play baseball for the Knights.

The Frederica Academy Knights jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with two touchdowns from junior running back Jordan Triplett. On the first play from scrimmage, Triplett picked up about 35 yards on a rushing play and led his Knights down the field for a touchdown. It took most of the first quarter after that first big play, but Triplett scored on a 12-yard play to put the first points on the board. After the Knights could not move on offense, the Knights punted and Triplett caught the punt and raced 80 yards through the Deerfield-Windsor defense to put Frederica up 14-0.

And that was the last time Triplett or Frederica got into the end zone.

Deerfield-Windsor got onto the board on the first play of the second quarter, The Knights were facing a fourth down and long at the 17 and made the choice to go for it. Sceals threw a sideline pass to Boles Middleton, who broke several tackles and danced down the sideline and into the end zone. Frederica blocked the extra-point attempt, but Deerfield-Windsor had points on the board.

The Knights trailed Frederica 14-6 at the half, but senior running back Ethan Johnson broke free for a 37-yard run and six more points early in the third. The ensuing two-point conversion was stopped by Frederica.

The Knights took the lead later in the third when Sceals threw the same sideline pass to Boles, who stopped and threw to Tillman Dew on a 13-yard pass play that gave Deerfield-Windsor the final margin, 18-14.

The Deerfield-Windsor defense stopped any big plays after the early runs by Triplett but the Knights found themselves in a precarious situation late in the game. The game had been nearly free of penalty flags but late in the third the Knights were whistled for two fouls on the same play, a face mask penalty and a personal foul penalty after the play. That moved the ball 30 yards ahead and all the way down to the 24-yard line. Another pass interference call put Frederica at the 11-yard line with a first down, but the Knights got a break when Frederica fumbled and Chewy Willis recovered.

But the scare wasn’t over. The Knights then fumbled and Frederica got the ball deep in the Knights’ territory again at the 28. The Deerfield-Windsor defense stood up and took over after an incomplete pass on a fourth and long play.

The win sets up a rematch with region rival Brookwood in the semifinal round. Brookwood (8-3) crushed Pinewood Christian 56-26 and defeated Deerfield-Windsor in the regular season, 39-29. The other semifinal match-up will be top-seeded John Milledge (11-0) and Valwood (7-4). John Milledge beat Heritage 42-7 while Valwood eliminated Terrell Academy 15-8.

Joe WhitfieldJoeWhitfield[email protected]