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Friday, November 13, 2009
By STEVEN MARSH - Sports Editor
BEALETON -- His first name is not Daniel and he doesn't wear a coonskin cap, but this Boone will forever be a part of Franklin County football legend.
Colby Boone, the Eagles' senior kicker, booted a 33-yard field goal with eight-tenths of a second left Saturday to lead Franklin County to its first postseason victory in school history, 37-35, over Commonwealth District champion Colonial Forge at Kip Hull Field at Liberty High School.
In terms of distance, Boone's field goal, his first of a two-year varsity career, doesn't rank among the school's longest.
To date, however, it's the most significant and, oddly enough, it's the first successful field goal by an Eagles kicker since the 2006 season.
FCHS (9-2), the Western Valley District champion, entered the contest with an 0-3 record in the playoffs and as a No. 6 seed in the six-team Division Northwest Region draw.
At game's end, the Eagles had extended their winning streak on the road to nine games and stopped a run of eight straight wins by Colonial Forge (9-2), the third seed.
FCHS moves on to the regional semifinals Friday night in Haymarket at 7 against No. 1 Battlefield (10-0), the Cedar Run District champion.
The Eagles had no time outs after quarterback T.J. Shaw was dropped for an 11-yard loss on a third-down play from the Colonial Forge 5.
The field-goal unit -- Boone and snapper Aaron Dickey rushed on to the field. Shaw, Boone's holder to the snap, placed the ball on the tee and Boone split the uprights from what may have been the fringe of his range.
"We (Aaron and I) practice that scenario every day -- we've got 10 seconds left in the game and it's fourth and long,' Boone said.
The field goal ignited a wild celebration. Several FCHS players rushed the field, but had to corralled back to the sidelines because there was time remaining.
Boone had one more task to perform. His kickoff was fielded by Colonial Forge's Drew Wilson, who fumbled as time expired. A second celebration thus ensued.
Boone's heroics erased the two point-after-touchdown kicks he missed, the first of which FCHS made up for with a 2-point conversion, the second of which put FCHS in a one-point deficit situation (35-34) after Colonial Forge scored its lone points of the second half.
"I'm thinking, 'Man, I'm not going home (on the bus) listening to I missed that last one.' I didn't care if the kick was 50 yards, it's going through (the uprights),' Boone said.
"I didn't want to go home thinking that I didn't give my best effort, that it was my fault and that I let my team down,' Boone said.
"Colby makes some great plays and, sometimes, he don't,' first-year FCHS head coach Chris Jones said. But, I never question that he's not doing his best.
I told him at halftime, 'Son, just give us your best, that all I can ask of you.' You know we are going to scream at you because we (the coaches) want to win too,' Jones said. "He made it when it counted.'
Colonial Forge head coach Bill Brown said he thought FCHS should have been penalized for having too many players in the huddle before Boone's try.
"The kid (Boone) made the field goal. They ran guys on and off the field...There were exactly 13 players. I don't know the rule from the standpoint of whether it was an actual huddle or not a huddle, but there were 13 guys standing by that football and at the last second, two ran out,' Brown said.
FCHS's game-winning drive started from the Colonial Forge 31 with 4:18 left, one play after its defense prevented Colonial Forge from converting on fourth and seven.
The Eagles notched two first downs via the pass.
On second and 10, Shaw found Thad Basham for 28 yards. Later on fourth and 15, Basham leaped in front of three Colonial Forge defenders to make a 33 yard reception that gave FCHS the ball at the 12.
"My coach always tells me to catch the ball at the highest point, so that's what I did. I came down with it. God blessed me with a catch and it helped us win the game,' Basham said.
"I knew it was either go get (the ball) or nothing. We'd never won a playoff game, so this is where a new tradition starts,' Basham said.
"That's called being a playmaker and (Thad) has been one all year,' Jones said. "We probably don't throw the ball enough to him. That's probably the top catch in a playoff game that I've ever coached and I've been in several of them (playoff games).'
Two runs by Tae Gilbert brought the ball to the five with seconds to go. Then, Shaw was sacked to bring up fourth down.
"(T.J.) wasn't supposed to run backwards. He was supposed to run straight across, get to the middle (of the field) and fall down.' Jones said.
Gilbert rushed for 210 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns, three rushing and one receiving.
Gilbert took a kickoff back for another score, but the TD was nullified by a holding call.
"The holes were there. I just had to make the right move. No dancing, just make one move and go,' Gilbert said.
Gilbert has surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark three times this season.
With 1,631 yards this year, Gilbert needs 31 yards to break the school's single-season record held by former All-Group AAA running back Ronnie Edwards.
Gilbert provided the Eagles with both of their third-quarter TDs on a 44-yard reception of a Shaw pass and on a 1-yard run. Those scores produced a 34-28 lead.
"(Tae) is the best running back I've ever coached,' Jones said.
FCHS scored twice in the second quarter to overcome a 21-6 deficit. Colonial Forge regained the lead at intermission with a late TD.
"I told them at halftime, 'I've coached all I can coach, it's up to you to play now. You know what to do. We taught you what to do. Now, go and get it done,' ' Jones said.
FRANKLIN COUNTY -- 6/15/13/3 -- 37
COLONIAL FORGE -- 7/21/7/0 -- 35
SCORING
CF -- Scott 66-yard run, Eastman kick.
FC -- Gilbert 25-yard run, Kick failed.
CF -- B. Frohnapfel 1-yard run, Eastman kick.
CF -- Bartosch 24-yard pass from B. Frohnapfel, Eastman kick.
FC -- Preston 34-yard pass from Shaw, Gilbert pass from Shaw.
FC -- Gilbert 83-yard run, Boone kick.
CF -- E. Frohnapfel 39-yard pass from B. Frohnapfel, Eastman kick.
FC -- Gilbert 44-yard pass from Shaw, Boone kick.
FC -- Gilbert 1-yard run, Kick failed.
CF -- B. Frohnapfel 1-yard run, Eastman kick.
FC -- Boone 33-yard field goal.
TEAM STATISTICS
FC/CF
FIRST DOWNS 17/17
RUSH-YARDS 37-233/43-300
PASS C-A-I 7-12-2/5-12-1
PASSING YARDS 159/151
TOTAL OFFENSE 49-392/55-451
PENALTIES 4-40/6-65
FUMBLES-LOST 2-0/4-1
PUNTS 3-38/3-27
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Franklin County -- Gilbert 21-210, Spencer 11-27, Preston 2-19, Shaw 3-(-23). Colonial Forge -- B. Frohnapfel 8-15, Driver 1-(-3), Cundiff 1-6, McCleave 2-22, Scott 6-131, Reed 8-17, Wilson 17-111.
PASSING: Franklin County -- Shaw 7-12-2, 159. Colonial Forge -- B. Frohnapel 5-12-1, 151.
RECEIVING: Franklin County -- Basham 4-82, Preston 1-34, Gilbert 2-43. Colonial Forge -- E. Frohnapfel 3-121, Bartosch 1-24, McCleave 1-6.
INTERCEPTIONS: McCleave (CF) 2, Adams (FC)
FUMBLE RECOVERY: Hughes (FC)
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