It wasn't to be for Armwood

Despite a dramatic comeback, Armwood fails to convert a fourth-down play on the team's final drive. It could have been the school's third consequtive championship. Nease won 44-37.

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published December 10, 2005

	[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]
	Nease High School wide reciever Austin Silvoy hangs on to a pass from quarterback Tim Tebow as he is tackled by Armwood's Walter Radny during the first half. Photo gallery

MIAMI - Every Hawk shared the feeling at that moment.

Armwood, behind by seven in Saturday's Class 4A state final, had just recovered an onside kick with 1:12 left. Quarterback Justin Hickman thought to himself, "We can pull this out." Wide receiver Mat Brevi was so excited he was "at a loss for words." Anna Marie Callahan, the wife of Armwood coach Sean Callahan, began to cry as she watched from the stands. "I thought we had the opportunity to take it away," she said.

It wasn't to be.

The final drive of the season ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down. Moments later, Ponte Vedra Beach Nease quarterback Tim Tebow took a knee to put the finishing touches on a dramatic 44-37 win before 3,876 fans at Dolphins Stadium that kept the Hawks from becoming just the seventh Florida school to win three state championships in a row.

"I thought we had it," Armwood defensive end Torrey Davis said.

Armwood, which claimed 4A titles with wins over Lakeland Lake Gibson in 2003 and '04, trailed 41-15 early in the third quarter after a 40-yard touchdown pass from Tebow and appeared to be on the verge of getting clobbered. But after several big plays down the stretch on offense and two key Nease (13-2) turnovers, the Hawks (13-2) scored on a 3-yard Eric Smith run with 1:16 left that put a serious scare into the Panthers.

"Armwood's a great team," Tebow said. "They have got so much talent. We thought we had them down, but they came back."

On the onside kick by Darren deRochemont, the ball squirted past several Nease players before Hawks defensive back Josh Collier landed on it at the Nease 42 and held on for dear life as several players tried to rip it away. On the sideline, Armwood players wildly celebrated in anticipation of another dramatic finish. One week earlier, the Hawks had beaten Miami Washington on a touchdown pass with eight seconds left, but this time the final drive never took off.

Armwood lost seven yards on its first play, spiked the ball to kill the clock on second down, then threw incomplete on third and fourth downs. When it was over, Tebow, the quarterback many recruiting analysts call the best in high school football, was the first in line to shake hands with his opponents. He then sprinted toward the Nease sideline, where a throng of fans mobbed him as he attempted to jump into the stands.

"It's so awesome," Tebow said. "I'm so happy."

The golden-armed lefty exceeded his billing with a performance that certainly was among the greatest ever in a Florida championship. Tebow accounted for 390 total yards (237 passing, 153 rushing) and had a hand in all six Nease touchdowns against a defense that had been Armwood's strength.

"He's good," Armwood safety Jeremy Carver said. "He's real good. He's a strong kid, a good competitor. He's a playmaker."

Armwood quarterback Justin Hickman wasn't bad himself; he passed for 220 yards and made several clutch throws during the Hawks' dramatic rally. Smith also was big, scoring three times and gaining 102 yards on 13 rushes. But in the end, it wasn't enough for Armwood, which had lost just once on the field (one game was forfeited) in its previous 43 games.

As the tears flowed on the Hawks' end of the field after the game, an agitated Hickman began to eye the future as Nease accepted its medals a few yards away.

"All I'm thinking about right now is next year," the junior said. "We're going to be back."

Nea-Ellis 17 pass from Tebow (Amaral kick), 9:20 Nea-Tebow 25 run (Amaral kick), 4:46 Arm-Smith 6 pass from Hickman (deRochemont kick), :38 Second Quarter

Arm-team safety, 11:45 Arm-Brevi 83 kickoff return (rush failed), 11:29 Nea-Ellis 36 pass from Tebow (pass failed), 10:13 Nea-Ellis 5 pass from Tebow (Amaral kick), 9:22 Nea-Tebow 6 run (Amaral kick), 2:09Third Quarter

Nea-Barden 40 pass from Tebow (Amaral kick), 9:51 Arm-Hickman 6 run (deRochemont kick), 4:45 Fourth Quarter

Arm-Smith 36 run (Carter pass), 8:45 Nea-Amaral 24 FG, 6:18 Arm-Smith 3 run (deRochemont kick), 1:16INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Nease, Tebow 27-153, Owens 7-53, Ellis 1-3, team 3-(-14). Armwood, Smith 13-102, Branton, 10-80, Reeves 2-6, Tillison 1-5, Hickman 15-3, Brevi 1-(-7).

Passing - Nease, Tebow 18-27-0-237. Armwood, Hickman 15-35-220-0, team 0-1-0-0, Dickens 1-1-0-11, Branton 0-1-0-0.

Receiving - Nease, Ellis 8-88, Silvoy 4-44, Copper 2-46, Owens 2-9, Barden 1-40, Sumter 1-10. Armwood, Tillison 7-111, Smith 3-28, Carter 2-44, Brevi 2-22, Branton 1-22, Thompson 1-4.

[Last modified December 10, 2005, 19:37:34]