FLOWERY BRANCH — David Renard's 41-yard scoring run with 2:11 left sealed the Flowery Branch win, 30-20, over Chestatee at Falcon Field on Friday.
The win secures the Falcons the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A playoffs.
After giving up 21 points in the first half, the War Eagles (3-6, 1-5 Region 8-4A) held the Falcons (6-3, 3-2 Region 8-4A) to one touchdown in the second half -- the Renard 41-yard run late in the fourth quarter -- and a safety in the third quarter.
Renard finished with 101 yards rushing on 13 carries and passed for another 93 yards. Myles Ivey led the Falcons' rushing attack with 37 carries for 154 yards.
But it's what happened in the first half that gave the Falcons the edge.
Flowery Branch opened the game with a Renard 20-yard pass to Kymani Harrison with 8:32 to go in the first quarter. Chestatee answered when Luke Bornhorst hit Elijah Pruitt for the score to tie the game, 7-7.
The Falcons, however, scored back-to-back touchdowns, a Renard two-yard run, and a Renard pass to Ethan Freeman to go up 21-7 at halftime.
In the second half, after giving up a safety and going down, 23-7, Drew Knickel jumpstarted the War Eagles comeback with an interception for a touchdown. Luke Bornhorst took the momentum late in the third and ran in from two yards out, The back-to-back scores made it a game, 23-20.
