(CONTINUED)

Nashville managed to drive down the field behind senior quarterback JT Malawy for the potential game-winning field goal.

Malawy hit 7-of-11 passes in the final drive, including a 35-yard completion to junior wide out Isaac Blazier on a third-and-25 from the Nashville 35.

Reaching the Athens' three-yard line with :05.6, Nashville took one last shot at scoring a touchdown with Malawy barely missing on a pass that went over Blazier's head in the corner of the endzone leaving enough time (:02.4) to try the field goal.

After an Athens' time out, Turner's kick sailed wide left, which triggered the Warriors' celebration.

“Credit our kids for not panicking. They were completely composed in that situation. We executed the drive perfectly but it just didn't work out,” said Coach Kozuszek.

Malawy passed for 202-yards in the game, hitting 17-of-24 passes with three touchdown scores to Blazier.

Blazier caught 13 of the 17 completions for 165 of the yards in the game.

Senior Noah Miller led the ground attack for Nashville with 24-carries for 98-yards, which included an 18-yard TD run.

After Athens had scored first on a Craig, Jr. run, Miller capped a short five play drive that was set up by a Blazier 26-yard punt return to the Athens' 29.

The score evened the game at 7-7 with 1:24 left in the first quarter.

Three times in the second quarter the Warriors moved deep into Nashville territory but came up empty on each trip.

Athens failed on a fourth-and-seven from the Nashville 13 when Cushman was forced to scramble on a pass attempt and threw an incomplete pass in the endzone.

The next drive ended when senior running back Cameron Bigard fumbled and the Hornets recovered at the Nashville 17.

Nashville took a 14-7 halftime lead when Malawy hooked up with Blazier on a slant pass where the junior receiver beat Athens' defensive back Jared Schnapp to the ball and raced the rest of the way into the endzone for a 36-yard score with 1:18 left in the half.

Again Athens moved close to scoring when they got to the Hornets' 24.

However three consecutive incomplete passes and a fourth down tackle for a loss ended the half.

“We had a few guys playing in a game like this for the first time up front and I think it kind of showed with the false starts and so forth. The kids were amp-ed up. It was good nerves. We got it cleaned up,” said Coach Knox, who is now 111-53 in 15 seasons at Athens.

The Warriors took the second half kickoff and chewed up 67-yards and 6:24 of game clock on 13-plays.

Six of the plays featured Craig, Jr. running the ball, which included a key fourth down conversion and a 12-yard run from Bigard.

Craig, Jr. finalized the scoring march on a five-yard run to tie the score at 14-14.

Another mistake by the visitors handed Nashville prime field position at the end of the third.

Facing a fourth down at the Hornets' 48, Cushman dropped back to punt but the snap went over his head.

By the time Cushman gathered in the ball and managed to get a kick away, the ball sailed out of bounds giving Nashville the ball at the Athens' 39.

It took Coach Kozuszek's club nine plays but the Hornets got into the endzone.

Malawy connected on his second TD strike with Blazier in the left corner for a nine-yard score.

The extra point from Turner gave Nashville a 21-14 lead with 10:25 left in regulation.

Craig, Jr. broke through the Hornets' line on the second play of the Warriors' next drive and motored 60-yards up the middle for a game-tying score.

The Honn PAT evened things at 21 and set the stage for a fantastic finish.

(CONTINUED)

The next Nashville score came from a 14-play march.

Of the 68-yards, 54 of the yards came in the air from Malawy to receivers Blazier and junior Will Diedrich.

Malawy hit Blazier with a post pattern pass for the final 20-yards with 4:10 left.

But an unsportsmanlike conduct called on Blazier after the catch was a 15-yard penalty that was enforced on the subsequent kick off.

Turner then just missed on the extra point kick leaving the score at 27-20 and the door open for the Warriors.

Athens produced their best drive of the day on its next possession doing what they do best.

In the 11-plays it took to score, none of them were pass attempts.

Taking the ball at their own 37, the Warriors took nearly three minutes off the clock.

Craig, Jr., Cushman, Bigard and senior Zach Laird all took turns running the ball into Nashville territory.

Bigard came up with a big run 10-yard run, moving down the right sideline before being forced out of bounds at the Hornets' two with 1:16 left.

A Craig, Jr. run up the middle and was stopped short of the goal line and Nashville used its final timeout to stop the clock with 1:07 left.

On the next play they let Athens score as Craig, Jr. ran the ball in.

The Honn PAT gave the Warriors their margin of victory to advance to the semifinals.

“He (Honn) is just a sophomore. There were times this year that we might not have kicked it there but he has kicked it really well the last couple of weeks,” said Coach Knox.

Bigard rushed for 123-yards on 17-attempts for Athens.

Athens will face a Shelbyville team that won its first eight games before traveling to Nashville in Week Nine.

The Hornets hammered the Rams, 54-20.

Since then Shelbyville won playoff games against Wesclin (48-0), at Vandalia (36-13) and the Breese Mater Dei victory to host the semifinal game next Saturday at 1 pm.

Another key stat from the game that stood out was from Athens' linebacker Brayden Leathers.

The 6-2, 190 senior defender was credited with 14 solo tackles for the Warriors.

“I'm very proud of those boys. They (the seniors) have been great leaders for our program,” said Coach Knox. “We're happy to be moving on.”

Nashville had a pair of defenders that produced eight solo tackles each; junior lineman Griffin Bochantin and Diedrich, who also caught three passes for 22-yards.

Besides Miller, the rest of the Hornets were just seven yards on seven attempts.

“Credit them (Athens) they did a really good job stopping our run game today and we were pretty pass heavy in the second half,” said Coach Kozuszek. “They (Athens) load up on the run and dare you to pass. We did enough to hang around to give ourselves a chance.”