HONORS

Down 22-0 vs. 28-point favorite: Stephens County rally earns AJC Team of Week award

Indians come back from 22 down to upset the No. 2 team in Class 3A.
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Stephens County rallied from deficits of 22-0 and 28-14 down to beat Hart County 44-28 on Friday. (Jason Getz / AJC)
Stephens County rallied from deficits of 22-0 and 28-14 down to beat Hart County 44-28 on Friday. (Jason Getz / AJC)
Todd Holcomb
By
49 minutes ago

Stephens County trailed 22-0 against a 28-point favorite last week, then proved that football games don’t always come to their logical conclusion.

The Indians came back to win 44-28, beating previously undefeated and second-ranked Hart County in Class 3A.

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“I told them we had them right where we wanted them and that they were not unbeatable,” Stephens County coach Thomas Flowers said of his talk at halftime, when his team trailed 28-14. “The coaching staff made some key adjustments, but more importantly, they did an excellent job of convincing our players that we could come back and win the game. It was all a testament to the players and coaches trusting each other.”

Stephens County didn’t take the lead until the fourth quarter. Against a quarterback who had never thrown more than one interception in a game in his career, Duke Collins returned one 50 yards for a touchdown for a 38-28 lead in the final four minutes, and Isaiah Arthur returned another 80 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game.

Stephens County is the AJC Varsity/GHSF Daily Team of the Week.