Spring Creek shows its big-play capability against Rosewood

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 26, 2013 11:40 PM

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Hungry for a win, Spring Creek's players listened to their coaching staff preach the same message for four consecutive days during practice -- either special teams or defense needed to make a big play against Rosewood.

DeVonte Faison did.

Faison's second-quarter interception return for a touchdown helped propel the Gators past the Eagles, 44-20, in a Carolina 1-A Conference game at Branch Pope Field on a bone-chilling Friday evening.

Spring Creek snapped a seven-game skid in the series.

"Our boys, they wanted this win bad because it's been a long time since we've beaten Rosewood on the varsity level," SC head coach Aaron Sanders said. "We told them you have to play tonight with a sense of urgency and we're going to have to have some people make some big plays.

"They did."

Faison wasn't the lone play-maker for the Gators, who have won three games in a season for the first time since 2005.

Quarterback Tre Hammonds accounted for five touchdowns and 246 yards of total offense. He threw a short, 7-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Hicks and connected with Anthony Russo on a 64-yard scoring play in the opening quarter.

Hammonds added rushing TDs of 1, 8 and 41 yards.

Rosewood climbed to within 13-7 on Jamari McGown's short 3-yard touchdown burst early in the second quarter. Two big running plays by Terrell Johnson and Faison set up Hammonds' first rushing TD.

Quarterback Jacob Sasser marched the Eagles to the Gators' 37-yard line on the ensuing possession. Junior defensive end DaShawn Braswell gnashed his way through the offensive line and pressured Sasser to rush his throw.

Faison stepped in front of the pass and raced 50 yards to the end zone.

"I was thrilled to see him take that one back to the house," a grinning Sanders said.

Spring Creek led 26-7 at intermission and committed two penalties -- offsides and a personal foul -- on the second-half kickoff. Backed up in the shadow of their own end zone, Hammonds directed that Gators on an 11-play, 5 1/2-minute drive that included his 42-yard run on a busted second-down play.

"Hammonds is a great athlete," Rosewood head coach Robert Britt said. "When you're hungry for a win, you're schemed up well and you're playing hard, you make those plays that get you a first down and continue drives, which they were able to do all night long.

"We made too many mistakes."

Rosewood never found an offensive rhythm and played behind the chains on several series. Britt said his team struggled to piece together consecutive positive plays and put pressure on Spring Creek's defense, which forced a pair of turnovers, sacked Sasser three times and yielded just three third-down conversions.