Ball bounces toward Eagles in second half

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 24, 2010 1:51 AM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- One team got the breaks.

One team didn't.

Rosewood recovered two second-half fumbles and emerged victorious 33-14 against Spring Creek at "The Swamp" on Friday evening. The Eagles collected their first Carolina 1-A Conference victory of the season, and defeated the Gators for the ninth time in 10 meetings since 2001.

"The score is not going to depict the type of game it was," said Rosewood head coach Robert Britt. "It was close from beginning to end. In a game like this when two teams are very even, you have to get those types of bounces and you need take advantage of them.

"Hat's off to our kids. They made the plays they needed to when they had things bounce their way."

Indeed.

Ricky Brayboy's 7-yard touchdown run and Dante Ortiz's PAT pulled the Gators within 21-14 midway through the third quarter.

Quarterback Will Winslow, subbing for an injured Taylor McGill (ankle sprain), started the Eagles' next possession at their own 35-yard line. Three running plays and a 22-yard pass from Winslow to T.J. Frost carried Rosewood down to the Gators' 28-yard line.

On the next play, an Eagle back took Winslow's handoff and got mobbed by a crowd of Gator defenders. The ball squirted loose, a Spring Creek player scooped it up and raced toward the end zone.

The official blew the play dead and said the ground caused the fumble. Winslow capped the 11-play drive with a four-yard run on fourth down. The Eagles led 27-14.

Spring Creek (1-8, 1-2) took the ensuing possession and marched into Rosewood's red zone. Brayboy, Daivon Harris and Will Janning handled the offensive duties that gave the Gators a first down at the Eagles' 11.

Brayboy took the snap, bulldozed through the line and got stopped at the 2. The officials signaled Rosewood recovered a fumble and the Eagles scored four minutes later to decide the overall outcome.

"Those are the breaks we just didn't catch tonight," said Spring Creek head coach Aaron Sanders.

Rosewood seized a 7-0 lead on Jamie Wooten's 11-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter. Brayboy answered with a 69-yard fumble return and ended the night with 191 yards of total offense.

The Eagles took a 13-7 lead when Wooten recovered Applewhite's fumble in the end zone. Shane Whitley, who rambled for a game-high 153 yards on 28 totes, plunged in from the 1 midway through the second quarter.

"It was a much-needed win," said Britt.