Fernando Machuca ’22 wasn’t feeling any nerves Saturday afternoon, the first or the second time.
The Rabun Gap (Ga.) coaching staff tried to ice Christ School’s kicker on the final play of the game by calling a timeout, even after he’d already attempted a 31-yard field goal.
Following the break in play, Fernando lined up and simply did it again to give Greenie varsity football its first win of the season as time expired, 38-35.
“I was fine. My heart was beating a little fast, but other than that, I was good," Fernando said. "This means everything. We’re just glad to finally get one, we’ve had two losses. One was a real heartbreaker (a 24-21 home game against this same Rabun Gap team on Sept. 25) and the other one was on the road. We needed this.”
Fernando’s kick was the exclamation point, but it was Cade Mintz ’21 who was a one-man tour de force for the Greenie offense, scoring on a pair of touchdown runs (2 and 50 yards) and catching a 7-yard score from A.J. Simpkins ’22. A 72-yard pass from A.J. to Cade in the third quarter was the longest play of the game for either team.
A.J. also scored on a 3-yard quarterback keeper at the 3:34 mark of the second quarter and Bryce Sain ’22 was untouched on a 6-yard scamper with 8:24 left in the first quarter.
The Greenie defense did its job and then some, forcing three turnovers. Mickey Meguiar ’21 had an interception that killed a Rabun Gap drive, while A.J. Jacobs ’22 and Painter Richards-Baker ’21 recovered fumbles.
Christ School (1-2) will try to build on Saturday’s win when it travels to Metrolina Christian (1-3) for a 7 p.m. game on Oct. 23.