Late-Game Woes Continue to Plague Madison

Finishing games strong has been a chronic dilemma for the Madison High Warhawks all season.

Friday was no different. Madison dominated time of possession and held a lead in the second half, but neither effort was enough to get the Warkawks their first win, as South Lakes came from behind to win 22-16.

Madison (0-6, 0-4 AAA Liberty) has now lost its past four games by a combined total of 16 points.

For most of the game, Madison ran its double-veer with authority at a patchwork South Lakes defensive line that was missing three defensive starters.

The Warhawks got out to a great start thanks to a 14-play, 79-yard touchdown drive that etched more than six minutes off the clock in the first quarter. Warhawks senior fullback CJ Kelliher, who ran for 106 yards on the game, battered defenders and scored on a 7-yard touchdown run to give Madison an early 7-0.

The Warhawks would score again in the first half on a 3-yard touchdown sweep by senior running back Robert Pearson to give Madison a 13-8 halftime lead.

Sophomore place kicker Nick Dorka tacked on a 37-yard field goal to score Madison's only points in the second half, which gave the Warhawks a 16-8 lead early in the third quarter.

The wrinkle came when the Warhawks decided to throw the ball on a 1st-and-10 situation.

Madison's sophomore quarterback Dan Powers was pressured heavily on a rollout that didn't fake South Lakes linebacker Garrett Davis. As Powers tried to bring his arm forward to pass, the ball slid out and fell backwards, resulting in a fumble that was recovered by Seahawks defensive end Jacob Slover to seal the game for South Lakes.

"I was just glad the officials got it right," South Lakes head coach Andy Hill said. "He was back pedaling and the ball just went backwards."

The Warhawks could not stop South Lakes receiver Sean Price, who scored on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Rashaan Jones. It was followed by a successful 2-point conversion to tie the game at 16.

Though Madison's defense had two interceptions in the second half by cornerback Albert Schultz and defensive end Steve Dailey, South Lakes' Jones and Price hooked up on a key 4th-and-9 late in the fourth quarter, which kept the Seahawks' eventual game-winning touchdown drive alive. Ja'Juan Jones finished off the Warhawks with a 4-yard touchdown run.

South Lakes Head Coach Andy Hill had a lot of praise for the Madison offense that worked like a well-oiled machine in the first-half.

"When they're on schedule, they're tough and move the ball well," Hill said. "When they got into a long down and distance, the advantage shifted to us."

Down by six with 1:15 left in the game , the Warhawks drove all the way to the South Lakes 15-yard line, but couldn't score, leaving the game at 22-16.

Madison faces another stern test this Friday at 7:30 p.m. when the Warhawks play 6-0 Stone Bridge at home. Stone Bridge has scored more than 49 points in each of its last five games.