What players, coaches said after semifinals

By GHSF Daily Staff

For the AJC

Here are some things coaches and players were heard to say after Friday's semifinals:

"Our guys were faced with a crisis. When we came out of the locker room, I could see the determination in their eyes."

- Gainesville coach Bruce Miller, to the Gainesville Times, after his team came from 14-0 down at halftime to defeat Flowery Branch 29-21.

"I didn't come down here to lose. As a coach, I knew [Fitzgerald's] offense was going to score points, and I knew that field goals weren't going to win the game. We kind of had to have that mentality. Play to win."

- Buford coach Jess Simpson, to the Gwinnett Daily Post, on his team's conversion of five fourth-down plays, two that scored, in a 38-28 victory over Fitzgerald.

"It's a tough loss, one of the toughest I've ever been a part of. We knew we had to be perfect to win the game and we didn't do it."

- Colquitt County coach Rush Propst, to the Moultrie Observer, after his team lost to Camden County 19-10.

"He had a knack for making people bounce off of him. Now I know how people feel who try to tackle [Tim] Tebow."

- Newnan coach Mike McDonald, to the Times Herald of Newnan, on his team's struggles to stop Northside quarterback Briar Van Brunt, who rushed for 141 yards on 31 carries (10 of them for first downs) in Northside's 29-24 victory.

"We've gone [through] Tucker, Thomas County Central and now Griffin, so I don't know of anyone who deserves to be there more than us."

- Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker, to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on his team's victories against big-name opponents on the way to the Class AAAA final, which will be the first title game in school history.

"We picked a bad time to play our worst game of the year."

- Griffin coach Steven Devoursney, to the Griffin Daily News, after his team threw three interceptions, lost a fumble and allowed a touchdown on an on-side kick to start the game in a 22-15 defeat to Sandy Creek.

"It was one of those nights where you have take what they give you, and tonight they were trying to take Ean away, and they [were] giving us the middle, so it worked pretty well."

- Camden County coach Jeff Herron, to the Florida Times-Union, explaining why fullback Aundre Johnson was the main ball carrier and rushed for 246 yards while leading rusher Ean Days was "held" to 135 in a 19-10 victory over Colquitt County.

"We were just attacking the A-gap. We saw that they had one man in that gap so we sent two people. The guy picked one of us up but let me go. ... I would say it was probably the biggest play of my career."

- Peach County's Kelcey Lewis, to the Macon Telegraph, about his blocked punt that was returned for a 49-yard touchdown, the critical play in his team's 21-14 victory over Eastside.

"When I missed it, I was like 'Oh man, what am I going to do?' When I picked it up, I saw the holes and I turned on my jets. That is what brought us back. Coach said we needed to start with a bang, so I said 'Why don't I start it?' "

- Clarke Central's Dimitri Holmes, to the Athens Banner-Herald, after failing to field cleanly the second-half kickoff, but returning it for a touchdown in a 28-0 victory over Rockdale County.

"It's eating him alive. He ain't never missed nothing."

- Peach County coach Chad Campbell, to the Macon Telegraph, on offensive coordinator Todd Cooper, who missed the 21-14 victory over Eastside because of a digestive illness.

"It feels good to come in here, to a perennial power and know that you gave everything. Win or lose, we earned a lot of respect tonight around the state of Georgia."

- Eastside coach Rick Hurst, to the Covington News, after his team made the state semifinals for the first time and lost 21-14 to Peach County.