Sherwood wins on last minute field goal 29-27

Senior kicker Josh Thomas kicked a 40-yard field goal with 34 seconds left to play Friday night to give Sherwood Christian a 29-27 win over John Hancock Academy in Albany. The Rebels of John Hancock had taken the lead midway through the third quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass and after the kick, JHA led 27-26. Neither team found much offensive success after that drive by the Rebels.

Late in the fourth quarter Sherwood’s Stephen Drake recovered a fumble that gave the Eagles the ball at the 42 yard line. Runs by Caleb Wiley and Ketavion Curry, and then a personal foul penalty called on the Rebels moved the ball down to the 16-yard line. After that, the Rebel defense pushed the Eagles back and on fourth down, Head Coach Chad Evans sent Thomas and the field goal team out. After a time-out call by the Rebels, Thomas calmly nailed the 40-yard field goal to give the Eagles the lead with 34 seconds left.

“I knew we just had to get the ball down and then hit the kick,” said Thomas after the game. “I just took my breaths and took my steps and kicked it.”

Thomas is a senior at Sherwood Christian, but this is his first year playing football. He is a soccer star on the team and already has a college scholarship to play soccer at Bryan College, but he joined the football team because the Eagles needed a kicker.

Earlier in the game Thomas scored on a 68-yard touchdown pass on a half back pass that went from quarterback Walker Flowers to Ketavion Curry and then to Thomas for the touchdown just as the first half came to a close.

“I try not to get on the field too much except to kick,” said Thomas, “because of my scholarship. But any time my team needs me, I will be out there.”

Thomas also tried throwing his first pass. Late in the game a bad snap gave the Rebels time to put pressure on Thomas as he was back to punt. Since he didn’t have time to punt, Thomas ran out to the right and tried to find someone to throw the ball to. The pass fell to the ground incomplete.

“Well, it was an attempted pass,” Thomas joked.

Walker Flowers took over as quarterback for the Eagles for his first game this year, returning from an injury. That put Curry, Wiley and Zachary Davidson in as running backs for the Eagles.

Wiley led the rushing attack with 183 yards and Curry added 118 yards on the ground. He also passed for 90 yards. Wiley also scored on a kickoff return.

The Eagles are now 4-2 on the season and will host Central Fellowship next Friday night in Albany.