Team of the Week: South Columbus seals dramatic overtime victory
SOUTH COLUMBUS (WWAY) — South Columbus football had one of its biggest wins of the season, earning WWAY’s Team of the Week honors after a 22-21 overtime thriller against West Brunswick. The win was a strong response from the Stallions after a 49-0 loss to Loris the week before.
“They competed, they flew around, they played till the last minute. There’s a refuse-to-lose attitude,” South Columbus coach Jake Fonieville said.
Junior defensive end Christopher Joseph helped set the tone on defense, forcing a fumble and returning a recovery that helped set South Columbus up to score.
“During the game, me and my fellow teammates, we had to come in there with good energy and a great mindset to play excellent defense,” Joseph said.
Running back Gentry Thompson also played a key role, scoring two touchdown, including one that was crucial in overtime. West Brunswick scored first in overtime, putting South Columbus in a must-score situation.
“We started on defense and they scored, and we knew we had to score or it was done,” Thompson said. “So we just got the energy up, go in there and scored.”
After answering with a touchdown, South Columbus decided against extending the game to another overtime. Instead, the Stallions went for a two-point conversion and the win. It worked.
“Went for two and got it. It was awesome. I love my teammates,” Thompson said.
The successful conversion gave South Columbus the 22-21 walk-off victory.
“It was just great to have an ending like that,” Fonieville said. “You don’t get to experience that a whole lot of times in high school… a walk-off finish.”
“The work that they’ve put in and the effort they’ve put into it, it was nice for them to be able to enjoy that kind of a moment,” Fonieville added. The Stallions improved to 2-2 with the victory.
