When you lose a football game by one point, there are numerous plays to look back on and think “what if...”
That was the case for French Camp Academy when the Panthers were edged by homestanding West Lowndes 32-31. There were key missed tackles during West Lowndes’ first-half scoring drives. There was a safety in the third quarter. And most critical of all, there was coming up short on a two-point conversion attempt at the end of the game.
“We played hard,” said coach Nathan Wright. “We just can't figure out a way to win.”
A comeback from a 30-13 second quarter deficit was nearly complete when C.J. Johnson connected with Rob Surrette for a 26-yard touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the game to make it 32-31. Wright decided to go for two and the win.
“I felt confident that we could score. I thought that was our best chance. We're not a good extra point kicking team anyway. I felt we could get two points, I really did. On the road you go for a win.”
Phillip Caradine got the call, but his run attempt was stopped short. Actually, it would not have counted if he had scored because of a French Camp penalty that West Lowndes declined.
West Lowndes’ only second half points came on a safety when Johnson was tackled in the end zone following a bad snap for two points that proved decisive in the end.
For French Camp, it was a tale of two halves, first bad and second good. “We played pretty bad in the first quarter,” Wright said. “Defensively, we were non existent at the start of the game. They (West Lowndes) were a little more physical on the line.”
The second half was a different story. “The guys buckled down. We were moving the ball and the guys got some stops in the second half. That really made a big difference.”
Offensively, it was the Johnson and Caradine show for French Camp. Johnson completed four passes for 63 yards and one touchdown and ran 19 times for 128 yards and three TDs. Caradine had 20 carries for 110 yard and one score.
Caradine and Johnson also played well as defensive backs. Caradine had seven tackles and a sack and Johnson six tackles and a key strip an recovery that set up the Panthers' final touchdown drive.
Bradley Edwards led the defense with 15 tackles. Javen Anderson had nine tackles and an interception. On the other side of the ball, Anderson and Edwards both had one receptions, Anderson for 40 yard and Edwards for seven.
French Camp dropped to 1-6 and 1-3 in Region 2-1A. West Lowndes is one of the state's most improved teams with an 8-1 record (4-1 in the region) after going 2-9 last year.
French Camp has a home game Friday with Noxapater, which is the third ranked 3-1A team in the state according to the website MaxPreps.
“It doesn't get any easier. Week after week it's pretty tough this year,” Wright said.
Noxapater is 5-2 and 3-1 in the region, coming off a 14-2 loss to top-ranked Nanih Waiya. Noxapater is led by sophomore K.D> Carter who has carried 118 times for 935 yards (7.9 average) and 14 touchdowns.
