Friday Knight Lights Ends with Double OT Victory for St. Francis, 40-37

won its first varsity football game the first time the team played under its own lights, sending North Cobb Christian home with a 40-37 double overtime loss.

"I'll say this: that was the way the game was supposed to be played on both sides," St. Francis High Head Coach Lawrence Smith said.

The Knights scored first, but the Eagles came back to tie every time, including a passing touchdown with just a minute left in regulation play. St. Francis came up short on its last possession before overtime.

The excitement grew during overtime. The Knights scored first in OT, but they gave the Eagles an opening to end it on their posession when the extra point kick went just wide of the goalposts. All the Eagles needed to do was score and manage the PAT. But the North Cobb Christian kicker missed his chance, too.

When the Eagles' second overtime possession faltered, coaches called for a field goal attempt that made it through the uprights. North Cobb Christian led 37-34 as St. Francis took its turn. Starting 15 yards away from the end zone, the Knights relied mostly on sophomore quarterback Joey Roche's legs to get them in the end zone. With the help of a penalty he succeed, plunging into the end zone for the win, 40-37.

"They played a great ball game and we had some penalties which come over to hurt us, but they had the same thing," said North Cobb Chirstian Head Coach Harry Miles. "We got the field goal at the end and they got the touchdown.

"There's too many points in this game where it could have been won or lost. There's not one thing I can point to. Our kids played hard and I'm proud of my guys," said the Eagles Coach Miles.

The Knights' coach said the players' commitment brought them the win.

"If you can get players that want it for themselves more than the coaches want it for them, you'll start having a lot of success," Smith said.

Smith's keys to the game

• "Joey Roche played a heck of a game, sophomore quarterback. I've been with Joey since the beginning of this program in middle school. So to see the way that he's grown, it's just amazing.
• "Our offensive line, they stepped up big time tonight."
• "We're a small school, small size, small number wise. We have some kids, like TJ D'Meza who's five foot nothing, 145 pounds and he's our center. And I don't think anybody on this team will fight more than TJ D'Meza. And that's kind of our team, that's us in a nutshell."