RINGGOLD, Ga. – What undoubtedly will be the most unforgettable run in Jeffery Curtis’ high school football career covered exactly 45 yards – in the wrong direction.
Curtis, the Heritage running back who a few minutes earlier scored what seemed to be the clinching touchdown in the Generals’ eternal struggle to defeat the neighboring Ringgold Tigers, found himself in punt formation with only 12 seconds to play and his team clinging to a four-point lead.
He took the snap and lit out for the nearest goal line – his own. Eluding frustrated Tigers, he danced around until the clock hit zeros and slipped out of bounds for a game-ending safety and a 13-11 win.
“It’s been tough. They’ve been through it,” exausted but overjoyed Heritage coach E.K. Slaughter said after a huge postgame on-field party. “And they deserve it.
“It was a gutsy win, but we have gutsy kids,” he added.
Perhaps the gutsiest was quarterback Blake Bryan, who bounced back from throwing three first-half interceptions to finally put the Genrals on the board late in the third quarter with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Carter. The Tigers had the only points of the first half in the form of a Garrett Davis field goal, coming on the game’s first possession despite two fumbles.
Once Heritage got the lead, it was Bryan’s steady hand that directed a nine-play, 80-yard drive to make it 13-3, Curtis going the final 8 yards. But the desperate Tigers had a big play up their sleeve, and Andre Tarver caught a 35-yard touchdown pass with just 1:20 to play.
Ringgold’s onside kick went out of bounds, setting up the confusing final series of downs that led to Curtis’ mad dash in the wrong direction.
Contact David Jenkins at sports@timesfreepress.com