ORLANDO – In one of the strangest state title games in Florida High School Athletic Association football history, it all came down to an extra point as Cocoa won the Class 3A championship by downing Tallahassee Godby 7-6 in overtime.
Normally, this is the type of thing taken for granted by football fans. Sure, field goals aren’t considered gimmes but an extra point? Even the worst high school football programs normally find someone on the soccer team willing to come out for football and at least give a team consistency in this area.
However, as Cody Bell lined up to kick what would prove to be the game-winning extra point, nothing was being taken for granted at this point. Before Cocoa even had a chance to snap the ball, head coach John Wilkinson was out on the field calling timeout. Wilkinson then told his team that the most important play of the season would be an extra point.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. First, it would pay to help explain how we got into this conundrum and why a kid who kicked a game-winning 52-yard field goal could become the hero for the second week in a row.
The title game Friday afternoon was a game of errors. After throwing just nine interceptions in the previous 14 games, Godby quarterback A.J. Graham threw four interceptions. There were six fumbles and Bell would miss on field-goal attempts of 34, 27, 31 and 42. All of which added up to the first 0-0 regulation finish in the FHSAA finals history.
In overtime, Godby scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Graham to Florida State commitment Willie Downs on the second play of overtime. The extra-point kick attempt by Billy Mueller was blocked by Anthony Session.
Cocoa then survived a delay of game penalty on its first play at the Godby 10. Chevelle Buie then rushed 10 yards on first down. Then after a Godby timeout, Anthony Wilson rushed five yards for the tying points. That left it up to Bell.
After his own team’s timeout, Bell lined up and booted the ball which snuck through inside the right upright, setting off a wild celebration among the many Cocoa fans in the Citrus Bowl.
“Amazing. It was fitting that it game down to that extra point,” Bell said. “I missed four field goals. I kept pushing them to the right. I just had a bad day.”
“We’ve been doing that all year,” Bell said after Cocoa’s narrow escape.
Narrow escape or not, in future years it won’t be remembered how Cody Bell’s PAT looked going through the uprights. What will be remembered is that it did, giving Cocoa its first state football championship.
FHSAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
The pairings for this weekend’s championship games at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl in the 2008 Florida High School Athletic Association state football playoffs:
Friday, Dec. 19
Class 3A championship
Cocoa 7, Godby (Tallahassee) 6, OT
Class 5A championship
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) 56, Lakeland 7
Saturday, Dec. 20
Class 4A championship
Lincoln (Tallahassee) (11-3) vs. Plant (Tampa) (13-1), 1 p.m.
Class 6A championship
Seminole (Sanford) (12-2) vs. Northwestern (Miami) (12-1), 7 p.m.