“It feels amazing,” said Garrett, who gained 93 yards on 17 carries and was 3-of-9 for 96 yards with touchdown passes of 71 yards and 18 yards to senior wide receiver Sior’Charles Riggins. “We worked hard and feel like we deserved to win.”
Hamilton had lost six consecutive games going into the regular-season finale, but the Big Blue still was ranked 16th in the computer ratings that determine which teams qualify for post-season play. Hamilton probably got some help from Lakota East’s 27-19 loss at Fairfield that featured two Indian touchdowns in the last 6:05. The Thunderhawks were eliminated with the loss, according to joeeitel.com
“We’ll take it,” said coach Arvie Crouch, who led Hamilton (3-7, 2-7 GMC) to one more win than last season in his first year as head coach. “From everything I’ve been told, if we won, we’re in.
“Injuries hurt us all year. We probably should’ve won more games. We’ve been playing tough all year. We improved by one game. We need to get stronger.”
The Big Blue likely will face Moeller, the state’s third-ranked team, in the first round next Friday, according to joeeitel.com. The Crusaders (9-1) play in the rugged Greater Catholic League South Division. Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton lost at another GCL South school, St. Xavier, 37-7, in last season’s first round.
“GCL, GMC – it doesn’t matter,” Garrett said. “With the effort we put in, we feel like we deserve to be there. We put in the work.”
“We’ll just go in there and play GMC football,” Crouch said.
Credit: David A. Moodie
Credit: David A. Moodie
Sycamore junior wide receiver Gio Garrett caught touchdown passes of 20 and 10 yards to account for the Aviators scoring, but Hamilton never trailed in the game.
Jaylan Garrett, moved to quarterback about three weeks ago, Crouch said, scored his first touchdown after senior defensive lineman Ebony Curry recovered a fumble at Sycamore’s 31-yard line produced by a sack.
The Big Blue couldn’t take similar advantage of sophomore Marlon Reed’s interception later in the quarter, but Riggins made a leaping catch of a Garrett pass along the left sideline in front of the Hamilton bench and broke free for a 71-yard touchdown and 14-0 lead with 5:07 left before halftime.
Sycamore scored with 46 seconds left before halftime, but Hamilton responded with an eight-play, 69-yard drive that included Garrett’s 22-yard gain on a fourth-and-9 quarterback draw that set up his 2-yard touchdown run with 8:31 left in the third quarter.
The Big Blue expanded the lead to 28-7 on Garrett’s 18-yard touchdown pass that capped a 12-play, 61-yard drive. Sycamore cut the lead to 28-14 with 5:04 remaining, but sophomore Carter Isaacs fell on the Aviators’ onside kick, allowing Hamilton to run out the clock.
Junior Cournell Bennett, a mid-season addition to the team, gained 83 yards on 23 carries for Hamilton.
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