With 8:20 left on the clock, the Westminster football team appeared to be finished. Down by 11 points and pinned deep at their own 3, the Wildcats needed a miracle.
Turns out they got more than one.
Thanks to their fourth-quarter resilience, the Class AAA No. 6 Wildcats emerged with a 22-21 road win over Class AAA No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian on Friday.
“We said all week we need to play a four-quarter game,” said Westminster coach Gerry Romberg, whose team had lost to GAC the past two seasons. “Keep fighting at the end and we’d have a chance to win. It wasn’t looking good there.”
The first break came when Westminster scored on the second play after being punted deep. Parks Harber found Paul Weathington streaking down the left sideline and he somehow avoided a tackle around the 30 to complete an 84-yard touchdown reception. The Wildcats missed a two-point pass and trailed 21-16 with 7:45 remaining.
GAC appeared to answer when quarterback Josh Rose broke from the pack and seemed to be headed for a touchdown. He was chased down by John O. Izlar and tackled at the 5. Two plays later Rose threw into the left corner and Westminster’s Chance Loeffler came up with the timely interception.
“We always talk about playing one more down,” Romberg said. “Get them on the ground, whether it’s at the 50 or the 1-yard line and play one down and you’ve got a chance. Then we got the pick in the end zone and everything changed.”
Westminster made it interesting, though, when a facemask penalty left them with a third-and-26 at the 15. But Harber and Izlar hooked up again on an 80-yard play – with Izlar somehow emerging from a pack of tacklers -- that advanced the ball to the 5. Will Hallmark scored on the next play to give Westminster a 22-21 lead.
“The guys believe,” Romberg said. “Our players have resilience where when things go bad, they just keep playing. Our guys just find a way to win.”
The Westminster defense had to make two more stands. They stopped GAC on four downs and took possession, but Charlie Ham – who made a 51-yard field goal to end the first half – was wide right on a 30-yarder.
That gave GAC one more chance, but the Spartans failed to get a first down and Westminster was able to run out the clock.
“Credit to our defensive coordinators, they had us in the right coverages all night long and we never gave up,” Loeffler said.
Harber completed 18 of 30 passes with one interception for 329 yards. Weathington was the top rusher with 57 yards. Nance Hill had eight receptions.
GAC’s Rose completed 7 of 22 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns and rushed six times for 102 yards and one touchdown. Ty James caught four passes for 142 yards and both touchdowns.
The win was No. 199 for Romberg.
After a scoreless first quarter, GAC punched it in on a 1-yard run by Josh Rose. That capped a 12-play drive that covered 64 yards.
Westminster answered by driving 80 yards in 10 plays, with Will Hallmark scoring on a pitch around the left end that tied the game at 7-7 with 6:33 remaining.
GAC’s second score was set up when Harrison Stogner intercepted Rose to give the Spartans the ball at their own 39. Two plays later they were in the end zone thanks to a 43-yard pass from Rose to Ty James, who completed the job with a 13-yard touchdown catch on the next play.
Westminster cut the lead to 14-10 at halftime when Charlie Ham kicked a 51-yard field goal.
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