Photos by Jim Marczesky Ben Lippen's Xan Mangum runs by the diving Kyle George. The Ben Lippen Falcons shocked the SCISA world with a 33- 26 victory over the Hammond Skyhawks Friday, October 3.

The Falcons came into Friday's contest as a heavy underdog. They were 2- 4 with losses to Heathwood Hall and Augusta Christian, and had lost the last two years to Hammond by an average score of 34- 14.

Meanwhile, the Skyhawks had not lost a region game since 2005. They went undefeated in 2006 and lost only once in 2007. Both of those years, they claimed the SCISA- 3A state title. Coming into this game Hammond was 5- 0 and looking stronger than ever.

But the Falcons jumped on the Skyhawks early in front of an overflow homecoming crowd at Ben Lippen. On their second possession of the game, the Falcons drove 93 yards in just under five minutes. On third- and- four from their own 26- yard line, quarterback Joey Carter made a couple of nifty moves to avoid a sack, then he raced 26 yards to the Hammond 48. Several plays later, Carter again ran seven yards and stretched across the goal line to give Ben Lippen the lead 6- 0 at the 1:36 mark of the first quarter.

Ben Lippen quarterback Joey Carter ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns. The Skyhawks answered with a 71- yard drive of their own. Quarterback Cliff Ayers completed the drive with a perfect pump fake and fade pass to Taylor Smith in the right corner of the end zone. After a missed PAT, the score was tied 6- 6 with 10:44 remaining in the second quarter.

The Falcons wasted no time responding with a Carter screen pass to Robert Keen. Keen cut to the right then back left and outraced the Hammond defense to the left side of the end zone. The point after made the score 13- 6.

Again the Skyhawks responded immediately. They drove 72 yards to the Ben Lippen eight. On fourth- and- goal, Ayers found A.D. Briggs in traffic for the score.

The teams traded punts, then the Falcons put together a 90- yard drive to close out the first half. The drive featured a perfectly executed hook- and- ladder, which got 17 yards on a second- and- 19 play. With 14.8 seconds remaining, Carter ran 24 yards to give Ben Lippen a 20- 13 lead.

The Skyhawks opened the second half with an interception, which the Falcons quickly converted to points in the form of a 33- yard touchdown pass from Carter to Mitchell Deter.

The Skyhawks bounced back with a 74- yard drive ending in a shoestring catch by Aaron Walters in the back right corner of the end zone on fourth- and- seven from the Ben Lippen 16- yard line.

After a Ben Lippen punt, Ayers connected with Walters again for a beautiful 90- yard bomb bringing Hammond with one at 27- 26 to start the fourth quarter.

The Falcons stormed right back down the field going 70 yards in two minutes. Carter took what looked like a blown play and raced 33 yards to give Ben Lippen a 33- 26 lead with 9:38 remaining in the game.

The Skyhawks fumbled on their next possession, but the Falcons could not convert.

With 7:53 remaining in the game, Hammond turned to its running game. Les Cotter rushed eight times for 30 yards getting the Skyhawks to the Ben Lippen 10 yard line with 3:04 remaining. On fourth- and- eight from the ten, Ayers' pass to Kyle George fell incomplete.

The Skyhawk defense held Ben Lippen to a three- and- out forcing them to punt the ball away with 1:21 left in the game. But the Skyhawks fumbled the ball away again giving the Falcons a hard fought victory.