Photo by Jeff Blake/ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com Chapin quarterback Michael Weimer scrambles against A.C. Flora. Long after the game with Chapin had crossed into lost–cause territory and much of the homecoming crowd had departed, A.C. Flora’s football team turned its attention toward a strong finish.

To the game. To the season.

So there were the Falcons, using all three of their timeouts in the final minute, punching in a late touchdown to remind themselves of the importance of the 48th minute, to take a little momentum out of the 44–21 loss to their undefeated Region 4–3A foe or to just ease the sting, ever so slightly, of the end to the program’s longest winning streak since 1984 (four games).

“Our kids are not going to quit,” coach Dean Howell said resolutely. “We’re going to play this game the way it’s supposed to be played – right to the final play. That had a lot to do with the way we kept fighting on that final drive.”

Photo by Jeff Blake/ ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com A.C. Flora’s Terry Cherry returns the game’s opening kick– off for a touchdown against Chapin. And there was Stephen Cagle, who started the first four games before sustaining a season–ending shoulder surgery, sharing a message while walking across the field with his arm around the shoulders of quarterback Terry Cherry, who endured a forgettable night but whose team it is the rest of the way.

That ending was a far cry from the beginning.

With the annual homecoming parade and barbecue tailgate before the game, students filled two sections of the Memorial Stadium stands, swelling the size of the largest crowd of the season and forcing the band, in full uniform, to relocate to the north end of the bleachers.

Photo by Jeff Blake/ ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com A.C. Flora’s Donte Lovett is called for a facemasking penalty while attempting to tackle Chapin’s Josh Sanga. Before many in the crowd had even taken their seats, Cherry took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a 7–0 lead.

“Terry is a great ath- lete, and we work on returns every other day,” Howell said. “After that Dillon game, we’ve had the advantage on special teams in almost every game we’ve played.”

A.C. Flora held that advantage deep into the second quarter, but that’s when the Falcons’ dreams of an upset fell apart.

Chapin capped a 75–yard, 16–play drive with an 18–yard pass to Victor Frick, who made an acrobatic catch while stumbling out the back of the end zone with 6:40 left in the half. During the next six minutes, A.C. Flora had three, two– play possessions. Two interceptions (by Alex Fisher) and a fumble recovery by Tyler Krumrey gave Chapin the ball at the 44, 25, and 27 respectively.

Photo courtesy of A.C. Flora High School A.C. Flora 2009 Homecoming Queen Sophia Kawaguchi Chapin converted each short field into a touchdown for a 26–7 halftime lead. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles converted two more turnovers into scoring bursts of 43 and 4 yards.

Chapin’s Josh Sanga was the chief beneficiary. He scored four touchdowns as part of his 26 carry, 150–yard effort. Quarterback Michael Weimer finished 15–of–32 for 192 yards and two scores.

“I hate that we laid an egg in front of a crowd like that,” Howell said. “Before the game, I told them this game would be everything they ever wanted from football: Our stands would be packed, their stands would be packed, the excitement level would be sky–high. They had a chance to prove how far we’ve come as a team.”

Cherry led the Falcons in rushing with 92 yards on 17 carries despite missing about half of the fourth quarter because of slight leg injury sustained on his 19–yard touchdown run that brought A.C. Flora within 11, 26–15. He returned to lead the Falcons’ last drive, capping the 64– yard march with a sneak from 1 yard out.