A.L. Brown vs. Davie

Down 19-0 early, A.L. Brown came from behind to shock Davie County, 43-40, here Saturday morning, in the completion of a high school football game which was suspended by lightning on Friday night.

Davie led, 33-29, when play was stopped at 9:34 p.m. Friday, with 8:34 remaining. Facing that deficit and another one at 40-36, the Wonders prevailed by doing the unthinkable — throwing a 55-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left.

Brown quarterback Cam Kromah unleashed the winning rainbow. Isaiah Black went down the right sideline, the Davie defender got tangled and fell and Black hauled it in with no War Eagle in sight.

There was an eruption of sheer joy on the Wonders’ sideline as they improved to 3-1.

“It was unbelievable,” Black said. “Cam gave me a great ball. I wasn’t even looking at the defender. I was just seeing where the ball is at.”

“I trusted (Black),” Kromah said. “I had faith. We practice real hard together, I threw it to where he could get it and he executed.”

On the home sideline, the ending was an anesthesia-free root canal for the War Eagles, who have tumbled from 3-0 to 3-3 by losing by three points for the third straight week. It was the first loss of its kind in Davie’s 64-year history; it was 73-0 when scoring at least 40 points.

“That’s very tough,” Davie coach Tim Devericks said. “Everyone is going to look at one play, but there’s 11 guys on every play. You have to execute, but everyone only sees the one. I told them at the end: I will ride with that one and those two guys over there no matter what.

“You’re under a minute, they’ve got to go (65 yards),” Devericks continued. “You have to feel pretty good.”

Play had resumed at 11 a.m. with the Wonders facing third-and-8 from their own 8-yard line. Kromah threw incomplete and the punt was not a good one as Davie took over at the Brown 35.

But Davie’s momentum was squandered when linebacker BJ Foster intercepted at the Brown 27 and returned it 18 yards. Todd Kennedy scored six plays later to give the visitors a 36-33 lead.

In a second half full of momentum swings, Davie’s offense showed its mettle with a 13-play, 73-yard drive that chewed up 4:26. On fourth-and-4, quarterback Nate Hampton found Za’Haree Maddox for six yards. On third-and-5, DeVonte Lyerly ran for six yards. Hampton’s 16-yard keeper moved the ball to the Brown 2, and Hampton scored on the next play as Davie regained a 40-36 lead.

With only 1:20 on the clock, Davie appeared destined for victory. Avery Taylor looked like the final Davie hero when he sacked Kromah for a 10-yard loss. Brown was in a desperate situation: second-and-20 from its 45 with 35 seconds left.

Then Kromah and Black dialed up their breathtaking play. When the defender fell, there was no stopping Black, who scored the 11th TD of the game at :23. It was the seventh lead change in the final 18:17.

Brown finished with 21 first downs and 466 yards. Jakhiry Bennett had 21 carries for 162 yards. Kromah went 23 of 34 for 288 yards, without a turnover. Jose Vargas (nine catches for 107 yards) and Black (4-100) were the top receivers.

Davie put up 22 first downs and 487 yards. Hampton was enormous with 24 completions for 388 yards, tossing four TDs and running for one. Jack Reynolds was huge with eight catches for 125 yards. Maddox was equally dazzling with seven for 109. Lyerly rushed for 91 yards in the sophomore’s second varsity game.

Hampton threw for the third-most yards in Davie history; he also owns the No. 2 spot. It was his third game this year with four TD passes.

Kicker Willy Moure was 1 for 3 on career field goals — with the make only a 26-yarder — before going 2 for 2 from 42 and 44 yards against the Wonders.

It was all for naught due to Black’s game-deciding play, which came after Brown had averaged seven yards per pass attempt.

Davie, which allowed 43 points in the final 24:39, has gone from 3-0 to 3-3 for the first time ever.

“It’s a life lesson,” Devericks said. “Sometimes you put forth all the effort, you do almost everything right and you don’t get the outcome you’re looking for. I look around and it means something to these guys. They care about their teammates, and that’s a huge part (of being a team).”