Thrilling finish puts Armwood in final

ARMWOOD 37, WASHINGTON 34: Lance Tillison scores the winning touchdown with eight seconds left.

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published December 3, 2005

	[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]
	Eric Smith's three raised fingers say Armwood will play for another title.

MIAMI - Alwan Lee and Co. were good.

Armwood was better.

But just by a hair.

In the much-anticipated Class 4A state football semifinal rematch between Lee's undefeated Miami Washington team and the two-time defending state champion Hawks, Armwood delivered the knockout blow on a touchdown pass from Justin Hickman to Lance Tillison with eight seconds on the clock. Before an estimated crowd of 8,000 at Traz Powell Stadium, Armwood advanced to next week's final, 37-34.

Armwood (13-1) will play Ponte Vedra Beach Nease (12-2) for the championship next Saturday at Dolphins Stadium in Miami.

"We're very blessed," said Hawks safety Jeremy Carver, who had a crucial fourth-quarter interception.

Armwood's game-winning drive started at the Hawks 20 with 2:25 left. Moments earlier, Lee, a USF commitment who passed for 304 yards, connected with Rudell Lewin on an 81-yard score to give Washington (10-1) a 34-29 lead.

On the seventh play of Armwood's drive, Hickman connected with Eric Smith for a 20-yard gain to the Washington 35. On the next play, he hit Tillison for 29 more to the 6. The Hawks' first-and-goal pass was incomplete, setting the stage for Tillison's winner, which he caught in the corner of the end zone after a perfect pass.

"I told our guys if we kept it close in the final seconds, we'd win the game," Armwood coach Sean Callahan said.

The Hawks will head to the final having won 42 of their past 43 games on the field (one game was later forfeited). They now have beaten Washington in three straight state semifinals. This one mirrored last year's slugfest, which Armwood won 36-35 with a late score and two-point conversion.

"That's a first-class group," Callahan said of Washington. "They're very well-coached."

Armwood, though, proved once again that it isn't so bad itself.

[Last modified December 3, 2005, 01:22:20]