Miracle comeback! Columbus rallies in final four minutes to win Class 8A state title
It only figured it would happen this way.
A year after suffering a heartbreaking two-point loss to Jacksonville Mandarin, their fourth try at a state title, it appeared the Columbus Explorers were on their way to a fifth title game loss.
Trailing Apopka 20-7 with just 4:37 left in the game, Columbus answered a miracle from the heavens and sent its huge, wild crowd into a frenzy by rallying to stun the Blue Darters 21-20 in the Class 8A state championship game on Friday night at Daytona Stadium.
How did it happen?
Years from now you might get as many as 100,000 Columbus fans who will likely claim they were there the night their team pulled off the miracle. Trailing by seven points with 13 seconds left, the Explorers scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon McDuffey to star running back Henry Parrish with six seconds left.
And then head coach David Dunn, in the ultimate moment of guts, spurned a game-tying extra point, and went for two and the win. The Explorers got it when McDuffey coolly fired a perfect pass in the right flat to Jahvar McSween, who sprinted to and dove for the flag for the two pointer.
“What an unbelievable moment for this program, all the alumni, everybody,” Dunn said. “When we started that last drive, I had already made up my mind that if we got in the end zone, I was going to go for the win. There was going to be no overtime.”
Trailing by 13 with 4:37 left, the McDuffey led the Explorers downfield on a 53-yard, eight-play drive. It appeared over when, facing a fourth-and-10 at the Apopka 15, McDuffey failed to handle the shotgun snap. But he managed to scoop up the ball, buy some time rolling to his right and lofted a little floater to Parrish, who was falling to the ground and caught the ball as he fell on his back in the end zone for the touchdown with 3:21 left.
The extra point was blocked leaving the score at 20-13. The Explorer sideline exploded on the ensuing kickoff when it appeared Cornelius Wright recovered the onside kick, but officials ruled Wright touched the ball a yard short of the required 10 yards and the Apopka (12-2) was awarded the ball at midfield.
But a personal foul penalty on the Blue Darters and two Columbus timeouts forced a punt, giving the Explorers the ball at their own 20 with 1:57 left setting the stage for a wild game-ending frantic drive.
“I was determined to do whatever it took to get my team to the end zone,” said McDuffey, who completed 7 of 10 passes for 72 yards on the drive. “I can’t be more proud of our coach showing the courage to go for two right there. We were rolling and had them backpedaling. We wanted to win it right there.”
Said McSween: “I knew I was coming open and Brandon got me a great pass. I had to make sure I secured the catch and when I turned and saw I had the angle to the flag, I turned it on as fast as I could. What a feeling when I got there. What a great moment for all of us.”
Columbus’ state title came in a year where nobody, probably not even the coach saw it coming. A midseason slump had rendered the Explorers completely off the radar, even after a 6-4 regular season finish. But there they were on the field Friday , celebrating with their fans finishing with an 11-4 record.
Even more remarkable was the fact that the Explorers did it on a night where their main workhorse, Parrish was completely shut down on the ground. Coming into the game with 2,319 yards on the season, Parrish was held to just 24 yards on 10 carries.
But Dunn adjusted by playing him in the slot and getting him the ball in space as a receiver as he caught 11 passes from McDuffey. Even that didn’t net much with only 53 yards receiving. That was until Parrish caught both touchdown passes in the final four minutes.
The Columbus win was also significant for Miami-Dade County and South Florida as it marked the fifth state title for Dade and Broward teams combined since last week and fourth for Dade. The Explorers joined Champagnat Catholic, Booker T. Washington and Central with titles, marking only the second time four Dade teams have brought home titles in the same year.
But Dade and Broward, now 5 of 5 in title games this month, aren’t done. Northwestern will take the field against Orlando Jones in the 5A title game on Saturday at noon and St. Thomas Aquinas, ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today and looking to tie Jacksonville Bolles for the all-time lead in state titles with 11, will take on Orlando Edgewater at 7 p.m. If either team wins, it will break the 2013 record when five South Florida teams — South Dade, Central, Plantation American Heritage, Central and Champagnat — brought home state titles.
Trailing 13-7 at the half, things only got worse for the Explorers on the second half kickoff when a short pooch kick was mishandled by Vershod Quinn and Apopka recovered at the 30. When Blue Darter running back Tramar Jackson fumbled on the next play it appeared the Explorers would get the ball right back.
But somehow, despite four defenders being around the ball, Apopka recovered. Five plays later the Blue Darters were in the end zone when Jackson scored from 10 yards out and Columbus was in a 20-7 hole.
The Explorers offense continued to struggle but the defense, after giving up huge chunk yards to Apopka’s vaunted power rushing attack in the first half, bowed up in impressive fashion as they kept the Darters off the board.
The biggest moment came with 9:07 left in the game. Facing a fourth-and-three at the Columbus 14, Apopka went for it and it appeared to have paid off when quarterback Jaquan Bowman, who killed them in the first three quarters by rushing for 213 yards, found the end zone on a keeper.
But a holding call nullified the score bringing the ball back to the 16. Apopka then decided to try a 33-yard field goal instead by Titus Vandiver, which fell short keeping the deficit at 13.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 10:43 PM.