JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WCYB) — With their backs against the wall and staring straight in the face of ending their season on their home field, Science Hill Hilltoppers football pulled out the improbable to advance to round two of the TSSAA playoffs last Friday night.
Cleveland had a chance to run the clock out, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Toppers in the final minute. Failing to reach the endzone, head coach Stacy Carter called on senior Easton Miller to be the hero.
Easton made the kick. It was as exciting as you can get,” said head coach, Stacy Carter. “Very fortunate to have a kid that can come in here in that pressure situation. And he was able to do it.
Miller, who had not attempted a field goal in a live game yet in his career, drilled the kick with just three seconds left to lift the Toppers to a playoff win.
For Miller, he felt the pressure, but still delivered.
After the fact, I was fine, but running on the field I was nervous,” said Miller. “I knew that at any point if we were taking a field goal, it would be me. it just happened to be with only eight seconds left. There’s no other words for it. It’s amazing.
Not only was Miller at the head of the thrilling win, it was a night of kickers in an unexpected way. Female kicker, Rylee Durrence, stepped up to kick all of Science Hill’s extra points in the game – both stepping in for a team that needed to make a change at the position, following their regular season finale loss to Dobyns-Bennett.
Nonetheless, a magical night in Johnson City – but for the Toppers, there is still work to be done as they make the trip to take on Maryville in the second round. Science Hill lost to them by just six earlier in the season – and are eager to take on the challenge again.
They know their time is short. At the most, they only have four more ball games. So, the kids are loose and having a good time with each other,” said Carter. “We have this chance to redeem a game. Maryville is going to bring everything at you, but we have a chance to go there and do something special.
This post was originally published on here
