How a 4-touchdown underdog conjured an upset win after being down 22-0

Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Stephens County coach Thomas Flowers, whose team defeated 28-point favorite and second-ranked Hart County 44-28 in a Class 3A game last week. Flowers was promoted to head coach in 2025. He had served as the Indians’ defensive coordinator since 2001. He is from White County, where his father, Tommy Flowers, was a coach.

1. You’re down 22-0 in the first half against a team that was a 28-point favorite before the game. What is the mindset then? How do you keep your players positive? What were you telling them?

“In the second quarter, I felt like our opponent was starting to lose momentum, and I know our players felt it, too. I’ve never been a part of a team that was excited to go into halftime losing, but we were. By the time I made it into the locker room, several of our seniors, specifically Ashton Winters, had already taken control of the locker room and were coaching each other up. When I came in, I didn’t have to tell anyone to sit down and listen. All eyes and ears were focused.

“I told them we had them right where we wanted them and that they were not unbeatable. (Hart County’s lead was 28-14 at halftime.) 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.

“I’ve never been associated with a team this close. I’m not just talking about the players being close with one another; our coaches and players genuinely get along and have a strong bond.”

2. Strategically speaking, what adjustments did you and your team make to turn the tide? Or what began to work that wasn’t working before?

“In the first half, we really didn’t tackle well on defense. We challenged our players to put their facemask on the ball carrier, wrap up, squeeze and run their feet instead of reaching and grabbing like we were doing in the first half.

“When we went back out after halftime, it was like a light switch came on. I don’t know if our players felt like they needed permission to hit the quarterback, but we finally started hitting him pretty well in the second half.

“Coach Cory Dickerson, our defensive coordinator, who was the head coach at Hart County last year, was integral in motivating our players and keeping them positive. He never wavered in his confidence that we would win the game. The adjustments and calls Coach Dickerson made in the game were crucial to our success. The leadership he has provided on this team has made all the difference.”

Note: Hart County quarterback Tucker Parson, a preseason all-state quarterback, was held without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career across 20 starts.

3. What was the key play/turning point of the game? What happened on the play? What was the play call/strategy?

“Several plays in the game shifted the momentum, but the first one has to be the blocked punt by Ahmad Ivey. We made it look like Ahmad was in man coverage on a halfback going in motion, but instead, we sent him inside for a block up the middle. We were able to get a safety on the play and then score directly afterward.

“The second key play of the game was Ahmad causing a fumble on the 1-yard line. Their receiver caught the ball and stretched his arm out in an attempt to get it over the goal line, but Ahmad was able to knock the ball out and create a turnover that could have been a touchdown if he had been a second later.”

4. Looking at your common opponent, Habersham Central, there was no way to think Stephens County could win this game. In fact, those are the most lopsided common-opponent games that resulted in the underdog winning in state history. What is different from your August team to your October team?

“Number one, we have a really young team this year. At times, we’ve started nine sophomores and one freshman. When you combine that with losing our best offensive player (Dallas Hague, torn calf injury) and then our best defensive player (Morris Perkins, knee surgery) within a few weeks of each other, it is not conducive to winning early in the season against an opponent like Habersham, which has more than 30 seniors. Our sophomores are starting to play like juniors.

“Secondly, at the beginning of the season, we were dealing with a lot of practice scheduling conflicts because of the heat and wet-bulb conditions. We were practicing from 6 to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday, then doing all of our walk-throughs and film time after school. Only having an hour of practice with pads really hurt our preparation, and we all felt rushed at practice. Our players and coaches were mentally exhausted from having football in the morning and afternoon every day. It felt like a month’s worth of camp two-a-days, even if it wasn’t.

“After we lost to Habersham, we were able to practice in the afternoons and weren’t as rushed at practice.

“Our players and coaches were disappointed to start 0-2, but they weren’t discouraged. We had two seniors, specifically Ashton Winters and Jasiah Wiley, step up as leaders, and now they talk to the team as much as the coaches do.