RGNS football wins first-ever state football title in 42-39 triumph over Providence Day
Wade Cheek/The Clayton Tribune. As time expires in last week’s NCISAA 4A State Title game between Rabun Gap and Providence Day, senior running back Anthony Quinn Jr. celebrates with joy and relief of the Eagles winning their first-ever football state title after prevailing 42-39 over the Chargers.
“For the last year we’ve been in the valley, and we’ve been gathering up supplies and everything before going to the mountaintop … when you get to the mountaintop, you want to stay there for as long as you can.”
This is what football head coach Derek White said after the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School football team won its first NCISAA state football championship on Friday, Nov. 15.
The Eagles claimed the victory 42-39 over rival and fellow national power Providence Day.
Since White took over the helm for the Eagles in 2022, his team has played in two championship games, but falling short in the former.
When the Eagles finished out Friday’s thrilling back-and-forth victory and finally got over the last ledge of the tall peak, White and his powerful team were overcome with emotion.
“It’s a great thing (and) it’s a great feat for our kids,” White told The Clayton Tribune as RGNS students stormed the field at Zavala Family Stadium to celebrate. “We had some bumps. We knew it, and we wanted to do it and I think it prepared us. (I) couldn’t be prouder but it’s about these kids and the body of work (that) they did.”
This season was certainly a massive body of work.
From playing nationally ranked Baylor School on ESPN in Chattanooga and conquering historic John Curtis Christian School in the New Orleans Superdome to honoring legendary coach Erk Russell with a win in Statesboro over Benedictine and, in turn, shocking the city of Savannah, it was an uphill battle for the Eagles who now rank 43rd in America, per High School Football America.
In last year’s NCISAA 4A state title, the Eagles fell to the very same Chargers after giving up a late lead and opening up an offseason of disappointment and heartbreak. The Chargers came into the championship game as the reigning three-time title winners.
This year the battle was even more electric and exciting despite RGNS defeating the Chargers 46-13 at home on Friday, Oct. 18.
“It’s always hard to beat somebody twice,” White said. “I knew (the Chargers) would have a great gameplan (and) we did some things that we felt were not characteristic (but) I’ve got to do a better job of coaching. I talked about getting in the fourth quarter and taking over. I think we (outscored Providence Day) 54-8 in the fourth quarter the last two times we’ve played them. They’re a heck of a football team. Coach (Chad) Grier does an awesome job (and) I have a lot of respect for them.”
PD won the turnover battle with one interception, but RGNS has in fact dominated their Charlotte foes in the final quarter of their last two meetings with a 49-8 margin.
Both teams were locked at 21 points at the end of the first half from their four lead changes, but RGNS took a late edge with a touchdown connection from junior quarterback Gavin Owens and senior tight end and Alabama commit Marshall Pritchett.
The score for Bama-bound Pritchett and a successful point-after (PAT) gave Rabun Gap a 42-31 lead with just two minutes left in the game.
However, the Chargers stormed back to respond with a touchdown of their own along with a two-point conversion to make the score 42-39.
With 37 seconds left, the Eagle sideline became overcome with nerves and emotions as they have seen Providence Day steal their title win before.
The game came down to an onside-kick attempt for the Chargers, and it worked … at first.
The kick seemed to be recovered by Providence Day but the ball was swiped out of bounds through a slew of Eagles giving RGNS possession.
White talked about how the coaching staff and the players watched NFL wide receiver Cooper Kupp swat the ball out of bounds in the same situation to give his Los Angeles Rams possession of the ball.
“They were like ‘you can do that?,’” White said of his players. “It’s dead. It doesn’t matter who’s (ball) it is (and) it’s our ball no matter what you do. I’m hoping that a little bit of that preparation came into effect there but I didn’t want (Providence Day) to have the football back. I really didn’t.”
Along with the heads-up play by the RGNS special teams, the Eagle offense pulled a fast one on the Chargers.
With just 44 seconds left in the first half, White and the offensive staff drew up a trick play that caught the Chargers by surprise.
Near the end of a timeout with Providence Day awaiting the Eagles to get set, center Charles Emile-Binet ran out by himself to get the ball set. Out of nowhere, he tossed the pigskin to his left to junior wideout Walker Bryson who was standing off to the side.
Bryson quickly took the ball 30 yards down the home sideline for a touchdown before any defender had a chance to learn what had happened.
The trick play truly showed how much the Eagles wanted to win the game.
“There’s a lot of kids on this football team that have lost two state championships,” White said. “Last year (and) the way we lost, I think it’s heartbreaking. Anything (that) you put your heart into, when you don’t achieve it, you should feel failure. The difference with these guys is (that) they got up off the mat, did something about it, and gave everything they had (and) they did that so I’m so proud of them … it’s surreal. These kids will do anything (that) we ask them to do – 6 a.m. workouts, leaving your family and coming to a boarding school, just all the stuff (that) they have been through.”
The Eagle offense had a great mix of passes and runs against the Chargers. Senior three-star running back Anthony Quinn Jr. had two touchdowns – the first being a long wide-open run with the second being a short push across the plain.
Senior Georgia commit Bo Walker had some electric runs as well to help the Eagles flip the field.
Owens had three touchdowns on the night, two to Pritchett and one more being a connection with junior wideout Joshua Buckhalter.
The first quarter ended with both teams tied at 7-7, the Chargers used the lone interception to set up great field position and score a quick touchdown to take the original 7-0 lead.
However, Owens and Pritchett responded with their first connection to make it a tie ballgame nine minutes into the game.
Junior quarterback Zaid Lott got the lead back for Providence Day to start the action in the second quarter.
Lott found junior receiver Gordon Sellers for a 55-yard reception. Sellers took the pass untouched into the end zone just under the nine-minute mark.
RGNS once again found the end zone at the end of their next drive. Owens gave the handoff to Quinn Jr. who took it nearly 40 yards to the house while breaking three tackles.
The score by Quinn with the PAT made it a 14-14 game.
The Eagle defense stood tall during the next PD possession which made way for the offense to score on the Bryson trick play to give Rabun Gap a 21-14 lead.
Running a quick offense, Lott got the Chargers back on the board just five seconds until the halftime break.
Lott earned another touchdown pass with this one coming from short range in the red zone and tying the game.
The Chargers gained the advantage with a made field goal just under eight minutes left in the third to make it 24-21.
One minute later, Buckhalter made his 60-yard house call after a short dump pass from Owens. The gain after the catch for Buckhalter was nearly 50 yards to make it 28-21 Rabun Gap.
PD put one more score up before the fourth to gain another three-point lead with 1:30 left in the third, but the Eagles scored two consecutive touchdowns midway through the fourth to get some insurance.
Quinn Jr. got his second score with 8:44 left in the game when he dove backwards into the end zone for a touchdown.
With the Chargers going scoreless in their next drive, Pritchett got his second score and eventual game-winner which was a 30-yard connection with Owens.
After scoring the insurance touchdown, Pritchett embraced his father and the cheering crowd behind the end zone.
Providence Day quickly drove down and scored another touchdown and added the two-point conversion leaving just 37 seconds left but ultimately failed to complete the late comeback after coming up short on the onside-kick recovery.
The Eagles then took the ball and ate the remaining seconds in victory formation to claim their first-ever football title.
“These kids are relentless (and) they will do anything (that) they can to win,” White said. “The good thing is that our seniors have passed this onto our juniors and our sophomores. It’s a culture here. It’s about being ‘Built 4 Ships.’”
When referring to his team’s mantra “Built4Ships,” White mentioned “relationships, championships, leadership and scholarships.”
The Eagles now added the fourth “ship” to their program and want to keep it that way and stay on the mountaintop for as long as they can.
“We’re going to play the best opponents like this because our kids deserve it. They work so hard for this opportunity, so we want to take it to the next level,” White said. “There will be shirts with crosshairs with an RG in the middle because now you’re going to be the hunted.”