CHAD HAWKINS STADIUM — It was the drive of the season, maybe one of the biggest in Spring Garden football history. Down 38-35 at Collinsville with 9:31 left in the game, the visitors found themselves 98 yards away from history—a 7-0 record and a likely home playoff berth. Both would have been firsts for Spring Garden.

Somewhere up above, the stars aligned and fate's orbits moved perfectly into place. Spring Garden picked up yards with every play - 2, 12, 4, 7, then 8, and 5 yards, and 4 yards, and then 11 more. The visiting Panthers ground up turf… and time. By the time they reached midfield, the clock was down to 4:44. Emotions flowed from coaches, both sidelines, and the stands in the gravity of the situation unfolding before them.

After a penalty, then more gains of 1, 9, and 12 yards, Spring Garden handed the ball off to its workhorse, Forrest Livingston. The senior broke through the left side of the line. Five yards downfield, Livingston bounced off the back of a blocker, broke a tackle, and carried three Collinsville Panthers down to the 6-yard line.

Livingston's run accentuated the two teams' contrasts in style. Collinsville's offense succeeds with flashy misdirection, one-handed catches, and deceiving screen passes. Spring Garden, on the other hand, uses a much more direct approach. Their stout, strong backs and line have but one direction–forward.

His dash to the Collinsville 6 put Livingston at 255 yards rushing for the night.

“I'd take doggone number one [Livingston] over anybody in the state,” Spring Garden coach Jason Howard said after the game. “He brings an intensity. He brings a hustle. He brings leadership, and he showed it tonight.”

Howard, along with everyone in the stadium and all those at home listening to the WEIS radio broadcast knew Spring Garden simply would not be denied the last six yards.

They were right. Two plays later, junior quarterback Will Ivey found senior Jake Grogan open in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. A celebratory roar emitted from the visitors' stands that could be heard all the way up the mountain into Cherokee County.

Just the fact that Spring Garden's squad was even in this position is rather remarkable. After back-to-back lackluster seasons, the Panthers entered the game undefeated, ranked No. 9 in the state.

“These kids have won, really, four ball games in two years,” Howard said, referring to the dry spell. “For them to be in this type of ball game is a credit to them.”

Collinsville, the No. 10 team in the state, and their fans were stunned with Spring Garden's epic drive. But they had one thing on their side. Two minutes remained on the clock.

It was just enough time for Collinsville to thrust a dagger into Spring Garden's heart.

Like lightning, Collinsville streaked down the field. A 13-yard screen pass, then a 44-yard hitch-and-go put the home team at the Spring Garden 2-yard line with 1:33 remaining. Spring Garden held firm through one more play and a penalty, but with 1:01 to go in the game, an 11-yard pass to senior Edgar Padilla in the right flat put Collinsville up for good, 45-41.

A kickoff and three desperate passes later, the dream officially died. Senior C.J. Jones's interception gave Collinsville the ball. In one play they knelt to run out the clock. With the win, Collinsville (6-1) sits solidly in second place in Class 1A Region 7.

Spring Garden (6-1, 5-1) travels to Donoho, hoping to improve their playoff resume before facing Region 7-leading Cedar Bluff the following week.