Upending the defending state champions was the goal for the Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes last week entering the first-round matchup with No. 8 Sandy Creek.
And after a 39-yard overtime field goal from Ricky Valdovinos with no time remaining secured the 24-21 victory, the mission was accomplished.
“Our boys played lights out,” said Monroe Area coach Kevin Reach via text message after the game. “They were resilient.”
The Purple Hurricanes led 7-0 on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Hamby to Russell Hunley and pushed the lead to 14-0 on a 15-yard pass from Hamby to Parker Sims with three minutes left in the first quarter. Sandy Creek scored on a 5-yard pass to Kyshon Kenney nine minutes before halftime and tied the game at 14 on a run with nine minutes left in the third quarter.
Kenney scored on a 91-yard run with seven minutes left in the third quarter to put Sandy Creek ahead 21-14, but with five minutes left in the game, Monroe Area tied it on a run from Darion Manuel.
Monroe Area’s victory highlighted a somewhat predictable first round where seven of the classification’s No. 1 seeds advanced. Region 6 No. 1 Adairsville, lost to Gilmer, Region 7′s No. 4 seed, 35-28.
One unexpected result happened when No. 4-ranked Savannah Christian escaped with a 48-46 victory against unranked Peach County (4-7, 2-2). The Raiders (9-2, 6-1) entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed from Region 3 and hosted the Trojans, the No. 3 seed from Region 2.
In the fourth overtime, quarterback Blaise Thomas scored on a 1-yard run to put the Raiders ahead 46-40 and Kenry Wall’s 2-point conversion gave Savannah Christian the 48-46 lead. Peach scored on a 7-yard pass from quarterback D.J. Hudson but could not manage the conversion to force a fifth overtime.
During its last two games, one thing has become clear: Unranked Hebron Christian might have been underappreciated this season. The Lions upended then-No. 2 Stephens County 37-6 to close out the regular season and entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed from Region 8. Against Cedar Grove, the Region 5 No. 1 seed, in the first round, Hebron narrowly lost 30-27.
Class 3A second-round schedule
R1 #2 Crisp County at R2 #1 Mary Persons
R6 #2 Bremen at R5 #1 Cedar Grove
R1 #3 Thomasville at R3 #1 Calvary Day
R7 #2 Wesleyan at R8 #1 Stephens County
R8 #2 Oconee County at R7 #1 Lumpkin County
R3 #2 Savannah Christian at R4 #1 Morgan County
R7 #4 Gilmer at R8 #3 Monroe Area
R2 #2 Upson-Lee at R1 #1 Carver-Columbus
Class 3A first-round scores
R1 #2 Crisp County 45, R4 #3 Hephzibah 20
R2 #1 Mary Persons 35, R3 #4 Long County 10
R6 #2 Bremen 40, R7 #3 White County 17
R5 #1 Cedar Grove 30, R8 #4 Hebron Christian 27
R1 #3 Thomasville 36, R4 #2 Harlem 29
R3 #1 Calvary Day 48, R2 #4 Jackson 0
R7 #2 Wesleyan 35, R6 #3 Ringgold 14
R8 #1 Stephens County 34, R5 #4 Carver-Atlanta 7
R8 #2 Oconee County 28, R5 #3 Douglass 14
R7 #1 Lumpkin County 52, R6 #4 Gordon Lee 6
R3 #2 Savannah Christian 48, R2 #3 Peach County 46
R4 #1 Morgan County 35, R1 #4 Monroe 14
R8 #3 Monroe Area 24, R5 #2 Sandy Creek 21
R7 #4 Gilmer 35, R6 #1 Adairsville 28
R2 #2 Upson-Lee 46, R3 #3 Savannah Country Day 45
R1 #1 Carver-Columbus 40, R4 #4 Richmond Academy 2
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