NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Life U 25, St. Thomas 33
Score: Life U 25, Florida Memorial 26
Records: Life U, 7-7; St. Thomas, 12-2 ; Florida Memorial, 4-8
MARIETTA, Ga. -- The Life University women's flag football team dropped a pair of heartbreaking contest this past weekend in home action. The Running Eagles led both contests heading into the fourth quarter but were unable to pull out the win.
Game One: Life U 25, St. Thomas 33
The Running Eagles fell behind early to the visiting Bobcats of St. Thomas. In a drive that took up nearly half the first quarter, STU punched in the games first touchdown on their opening drive. Life U looked for an immediate response, driving all the way to the Bobcats 16-yard line but an interception on fourth down ended the drive.
Things continued to worsen for Life U as St. Thomas took just two plays to put another touchdown on the board, taking a 13-0 lead. Desperately needing a response, Cheyenne Brooks and Akera Jackson got to work. Marching from one end to the other, the offense finally put points on the board with Jackson capping off the drive with a two-yard TD run. Turning the tide in the final minutes of the half, the offense put more points on the board, with Brooks tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to Latoya Mitchell with just nine seconds left. Life U went to half time trailing 13-12 following a failed conversion attempt after the touchdown.
In the third, the Running Eagles claimed their first lead of the contest when Brooks found Dechea Branham on a 23-yard strike. However, despite holding the visitors scoreless in the third, the Life U defense struggled in the fourth.
The Bobcats leveled the contest 19-19 shortly after the quarter started but it took just one play for the Running Eagles to retake the lead. Brooks connected with Altierra Gooch for a 64-yard bomb on the opening play of the ensuing drive, giving Life U a 25-19 lead. Another long drive for the Bobcats that resulted in a touchdown and successful conversion gave the lead back to the visitors, 26-25.
Life U had multiple possessions in the final minutes but remained unable to retake the lead and the contest closed 33-25 in favor of the visitors.
Game Two: Life U 25, Florida Memorial 26
It was a hot start from Life U in the second contest of the weekend. Cheyenne Brooks found Akira Brathwaite for a 20-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive, giving the Running Eagles an early 7-0 lead. Following a quick stop from the defense, Brooks and company marched down the field once more where a 5-yard pass to Eeyana Torres resulted in a second touchdown.
Florida Memorial was quick to strike in the second, bringing the game back to one possession just minutes into the quarter. However, the one possession game did not last long as Brooks continued to light up the Lions. A 33-yard strike to Dechea Branham gave the Running Eagles a 19-6 lead going into the half.
Both defenses found their footing in the third quarter, allowing zero points.
In the final quarter, things began to unravel. A late pick-six from the visitors gave them their first lead of the game at 20-19 with 06:40 left. Life U got the lead back quickly after, with Brooks going 3-3 on the ensuing drive and rushing in a two-yard score to take a 25-20 lead. However, the Lions orchestrated a clock-eating drive that ended with the go ahead touchdown, 26-25. The Running Eagles offense was left with just 00:32 and no time outs to work with and was not able to make the comeback.
Up next, the Running Eagles conclude the regular season at Reinhardt on Saturday, April 12.
