Mill Creek head coach Shannon Jarvis was pleased with the Hawks’ season opening victory.
“It’s a great win,” he said. “Obviously, I said earlier that I hoped it would be a good game for the crowd. I just didn’t count on it being that good at the end.”
Though Hawk fans are likely to relish the Falcons’ defeat until next year’s game, Jarvis said his players would have to put it out of their minds quickly.
“Now, we’ve got to move on past the big rivalry game. This feeling needs to last about thirty more minutes and then we need to get our kids refocused,” he said.
With Dacula out of the way, the Hawks begin preparations for Central Gwinnett. The Black Knights are 0-1 after losing their season opener to Florida powerhouse Mainland High School.
Mill Creek travels to Central Gwinnett this Friday, September 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Lawrenceville.
FALCONS FALL
If the players were eager to start the 2008 season, the fans were even more eager.
Both Dacula and Mill Creek fans packed the stadium to capacity. Falcons’ fans staged a whiteout for Friday’s game. The crowd in the visiting stands literally paled in comparison to the red-garbed Hawks fans who answered Mill Creek’s call for a “red-out.”
Mill Creek fans did not have to wait long for a reason to cheer.
Starting on their own 44, the Hawks picked up a first down on a 10-yd carry by Ramael Wilson. After the Hawks gained only a yard in two attempts, quarterback Ed Russ completed a pass to Zach Landis to give Mill Creek another first down. James Powell gave the Hawks their third first down of the drive with a 12-yard carry to the Dacula 23-yard line.
On third and four, Russ completed an 11-yd pass to Wilson to bring up first and goal at the Dacula 6. Wilson ran the ball in on the next play to give the Hawks their first score of the game. After the extra point by Brian Heinze, the Hawks led 7-0 with 1:28 remaining in the first.
Mill Creek’s lead was short-lived. After kick off, the Falcons went to work at their own 45. On the next play, Dacula’s Marshall Steed pulled in a 53-yard pass from Hunter Watts and ran it into the end zone. After the extra point, the score was tied 7-7 with 34 seconds left in the first quarter.
After a series of three and outs early in the second, things got interesting again just before the half. Dacula, facing fourth down at their own 43, attempted to punt the ball away. Mill Creek’s Phillip Barbee got a hand on the ball deflecting it into the waiting arms of Chris Boggs. Boggs ran the ball in for another six. Heinze’s extra point was good, giving the Hawks a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Mill Creek had a chance to extend their lead after starting a drive with excellent field position at the Dacula 34-yard line. The Hawks moved the ball well, but had to settle for a field goal after a Mill Creek touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty. Heinze’s 24-yard kick gave the Hawks a 17-7 lead with 6:47 left in the third.
Neither team was able to mount much offense until late in the fourth. On third and seven, Russ completed a 28-yard pass to Casey Windom for a touchdown. After a missed extra point, the score stood at 23-7 with 3:58 left to play.
After a 57-yard kickoff return, Dacula had good field position to stage a comeback. With 2:30 left in the game, Dacula scored a touchdown followed by a two point conversion to pull within eight points of the Hawks. The Falcons retained control of the ball after a successful onside kick and began to drive down the field. A face mask penalty against Mill Creek gave Dacula a first down at the Hawks’ 25-yard line.
With 1:09 left to play, Mill Creek’s Marcus Kruzel intercepted a Falcon pass at the 22-yard line. A 43-yard run by Tyler Cierski on the next play gave Mill Creek a first down at the Dacula 35-yard line. The possession ended as abruptly as it began when a Mill Creek fumble gave the Falcons another chance to score with 33 seconds left in the ballgame.
Dacula drove the ball 27 yards, but was unable to get the ball in the end zone. With just .4 seconds left on the clock, Dacula’s last pass fell incomplete ending the game at 23-15.
BY THE NUMBERS
Mill Creek quarterback Ed Russ finished the night 12-for-17 for 72 yards. Josh Hollis went 1-for-1 for 27 yards.
Zach Landis was the top receiver with 50 yards on four receptions.
Ramael Wilson led the Hawks in rushing with 83 yards on 19 carries. Tyler Cierski ran 66 yards in eight attempts.
On defense, linebacker Scott Ooley was credited with a sack, three solo tackles and eight assists. Defensive end Ryan Robinson made seven solo tackles and assisted with three.
Brian Heinze finished the night 2-for-2 on extra points with a 24-yard field goal.
Overall, the Hawks had 253 yards of total offense.
GREAT WIN
As the Hawks’ fans celebrated, Jarvis was already making plans for the week ahead.
“Offense at times does very well and then we make these negative yardage plays. We have to eliminate that. We’ll work on that. It’s always better to fix things after a big win,” he said.
Jarvis was more pleased with his team’s defensive play.
“Defense I thought played very well,” he said. “They played fast. We had a few starters back that didn’t go in the scrimmage, so that makes you play a little better on defense anyway.”
Overall, Jarvis said he was very proud of his players.
“We challenged them. I thought they played their hearts out. I’m really satisfied with the effort which is the one thing you can control in a game like this,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a great win to get going. We’ve got some stuff to work on, but there are a lot of positives too.”
Jarvis also praised the Mill Creek fans.
“Mill Creek football matters,” he said. “We had great support tonight. The fans were just tremendous. I can’t say enough about our community and our support. I can assure you, they had an impact on the outcome of this game. They helped us pull this win out.”
