Brookwood prevails in the Battle of Five Forks

SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA – A lot was on the line Friday night in the Battle of Five Forks.

With the winner securing a home playoff game in the first round of the Class AAAAAAA state playoffs, it was Brookwood who managed to come out on top 41-33 over rival Parkview in a game filled with controversy.

Arguably the biggest play of the game came early in the fourth quarter with the Broncos leading the Panthers 27-19. With the Panthers trailing by a score, senior quarterback Colin Houck was sacked and fumbled the ball inside Bronco territory, leading to a 60-yard scoop-and-score touchdown.

The Panthers sideline argued the call of a fumble, but it was ultimately upheld and it gave the Broncos a 34-19 lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the game.

“They told me he wasn’t down,” Parkview head coach Eric Godfree said. “In the end, we just had too many field goal attempts and not enough touchdowns.”

Godfree’s assessment of the game was more than accurate. The Panthers trailed 7-0 early, but managed to trim the lead to 7-6 after a pair of long field goals from Carlos Munoz. Later in the fourth, Munoz missed a field goal attempt that would have cut Brookwood’s lead to 34-29.

While the scoop-and-score touchdown by the Broncos gave them a 15-point lead, it didn’t end the Panthers' chances at a comeback. On their very next drive, the Panthers marched back into Brookwood territory and scored on an 11-yard touchdown run by Khyair Spain.

Spain’s touchdown cut Brookwood’s lead to 34-26, and they immediately got the ball back after recovering a loose ball on the ensuing kickoff. The Panthers got as far as the Bronco 23 before their drive stalled out. That’s when Munoz missed a 41-yard field goal to keep the Broncos out in front by eight points.

“It was huge that they missed that field goal,” Brookwood head coach Philip Jones said. “We told our defense nothing behind you and that we’re in a dog fight. It was such a huge play.”

With momentum swinging back in favor of the Broncos, Alabama commit Dylan Lonergan all but ended the game with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jumal Prothro, extending their lead to 41-26 with 1:59 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers were able to score a touchdown in the final seconds on Spain’s third rushing touchdown of the night, but they failed to recover an onside kick attempt with just over one minute remaining.

"I've been a part of this rivalry since I was 8 years old," Jones said. "Tonight didn't disappoint. I was proud of the way our kids prepared, and how they stayed poised and composed."

The loss for the Panthers proves costly as their hopes of facing Grayson next Friday for a shot at a region title is over. The Panthers fall all the way to the final playoff spot in Region 4.

Houck finished his night 21 of 34 for 302 yards and Spain rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns in the losing effort. The Panthers were flagged 18 times for 168 yards.

The Panthers have now lost back-to-back region games, but Godfree said he expects his team to come out ready to fight against Grayson in the final week of the regular season.

“Our boys are resilient and they’re going to be ready to come out and play next Friday,” Godfree said.

As for the Broncos, a win secures a No. 2 seed and a home playoff game in the first round of the state playoffs. Playing sick, Lonergan was 8 of 15 for 161 yards while Prothro caught a pair of touchdown passes. Lonergan also rushed for 89 yards in the win.