Alpharetta Falls to Mill Creek in Football Playoffs, 41-39

Alpharetta High seemed poised for a storybook ending to their first round playoff game against the Mill Creek Hawks Friday night, but the visting team ended the Raiders playoff hopes with a field goal with only 7 seconds left, winning 41-39.

The Raiders had trailed ever since the second quarter when the Hawks Bryson King kicked his first field goal to make the score 3-0 Mill Creek. Alpharetta managed to tie Mill Creek in the third quarter when they blocked King's next field goal attempt and ran the ball 94 yards for a touchdown, making it 24-24.

But the Hawks quickly took the lead back on the next drive with just a few plays. And Mill Creek opened the fourth quarter with a quick score, extending the lead to 38-24.

Alpharetta mounted another comeback, scoring with 8:29 left in the game to close within 7. And with just 2:19 left in the game, Josh Dobbs completed a pass for a 33-yard scording play to bring the score to 38-37 Mill Creek. Alpharetta coaches were faced with a decision: Go for the tie, or try for two points and a possible win? The coaches went for two, and the Raiders' offense responded, making the score 39-38. That gave Alpharetta its first lead of the game.

But Mill Creek managed to use some key running plays and took advantage of Raiders penalties to drive the ball down to the 2 with 16 seconds left. The Hawks were pushed back to the 7. Kiicker Bryson King, however, had his opportunity to give his team the lead and he succeeded with only 7 seconds left on the clock. The Hawks now had the lead back, 41-39.

A 9-yard runback on the ensuing kickoff didn't position the Raiders well enough to have a good chance to score. And Raiders receivers weren't open enough for quarterback Josh Dobbs, who threw a pass to a receiver who never saw the ball coming. As the pass fell to the turf, the Hawks began celebrating their first round playoff win.

The Raiders had closed out the first half by scoring 3 points with no time left on the clock. A penalty by the Hawks gave Alpharetta kicker Thomas Waller a second chance after missing his first attempt. This time he made good, bringing the score to 17-10 at halftime.

The Raiders had trailed 17-0 until 52 seconds left in the first half.

The Hawks Jacorey Lewis rushed for five touchdowns on the night.