News Detail
Athens Academy survives overtime thriller to advance in Class A Private playoffs - ABH
It was a first-round playoff game so close that the final play was the difference.
That's when Sam Bush took Athens Academy's first play of overtime 15 yards for a touchdown that gave the Spartans a 27-21 win Saturday over Mount Pisgah to advance to the second round of the Class A Private playoffs and a date next Friday on the road at Eagle's Landing Christian.
The score came a play after Athens Academy freshman Tristan Puckett intercepted a Mount Pisgah pass in the end zone.
The Spartans (8-3) had to respond to a late rally by Mount Pisgah that tied the game with 2:06 to play. Quarterback Jack Cendoya connected with tight end Cole Spence, a Vanderbilt football commit, for a 19-yard touchdown but Spence spiked the ball and received a 15-yard penalty.
The pair connected on an 18-yard two-point conversion to tie the game.
That came less than two minutes after Athens Academy's Jeremiah Wingfield put the Spartans ahead 21-13 with 3:50 to play to pull ahead by more than a point for the first time since midway through the second quarter.
Athens Academy led 14-13 after a 45-yard Gio Newsome punt return with 6:50 to play in the first half and the score remained the same until Wingfield's score.
Athens Academy's Tre Hawkins scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter and Athens Academy led 7-0.
Mount Pisgah (5-6) responded with a 22-yard touchdown from Cendoya to Tyler Hunnicutt and took a 13-7 lead when the pair connected again on a 26-yard touchdown.
Bush (25 carries for 110 yards) carried much of the offensive load for Athens Academy after Hawkins left the game for good in the second quarter with a leg injury.
Cendoya passed for nearly 300 yards with three touchdowns and one costly interception.
Cendoya passed for nearly 300 yards with three touchdowns and one costly interception.
Key Play
Puckett's interception was the most important play of the game as the Spartans needed a score of any kind afterward to win the game.
Key Stat
While Cendoya passed for 298 yards, he was the only player for Mount Pisgah to attempt a rush. He finished with 16 carries for -16 yards, some of which were the result of Athens Academy sacks.
Game Ball
Though he completed just four of 11 passes, Bush was tasked with a large burden once Hawkins went down. Despite -30 yards worth of rushing on two plays early in the fourth quarter, the junior finished with 110 yards rushing and held the offense together that included a pair of freshman running backs, Jamari Welch and Wingfield, the rest of the game.
They Said It
"I just saw the end zone and knew I needed to get to it, so that's what I wanted to do. (The interception) felt great and Tristan is a really good young player for us. It was really exciting. And we knew when Tre went down that we just had to keep fighting and get a win for our team. " — Sam Bush
What's Next
Athens Academy: For the fourth time in five seasons, the Spartans get to face Eagle's Landing Christian, winners of five of the past six state championships including twice over Athens Academy.
Mount Pisgah: The Patriots fell in the first round for the second straight season. They'll regroup next season when they return Cendoya, who will lose Spence but returns Hunnicutt, his favorite targets on Saturday. 
Athens Academy
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
