FLAGLER PALM COAST - Fleming Island High football coach Tom Macpherson held out on his final game strategies until the final four minutes of his playoff-critical matchup with 7A-Flagler Palm Coach High and the shrewdness paid off as senior athlete Sebastian Cruz answered the call again with a three-yard touchdown blast with just 28 seconds left in the game that ignited a 25-25 comeback tie with the Bulldogs that kicker Parker Sirdevan flicked over the game winner to 26-25.

It was yet another dramatic win for the Golden Eagles in Macpherson's first season.

Cruz also snatched a critical fourth quarter onsides kick to set up a Fleming Island score.

"I just do what the coach asks," said Cruz, who answered the ball as week with a scintillating 30-yard touchdown sprint that was the go-ahead score in Fleming Island's 21-10 upset win over Middleburg last week. "They got me on defense to cover the athletes on the Flagler offense, especially that quarterback, but when he put me in at the end, I was ready to go full tilt."

Macpherson's strategic move came by way of his belief that the ball needs to be in his top athletes in crucial moments.

"I got three tailbacks out there at any one time and they do a great job, but Sebastian has got a little bit more," said Macpherson, who had to regroup his troops with a rare Saturday practice in anticipation of a Tuesday game against district 3-5A rival Beachside at Beachside. "When it comes down to my decision on who is in and who is out, I want to put the best player in the best position to win the game."

For the Golden Eagles, who sit precariously in the eighth spot of the region 1-5A playoff lineup (top eight advance) with Tallahassee Lincoln on the bubble with a 6-4 regular season record (beat 4A-Rickards Friday 35-12/Rickards 3-7). Fleming Island, at 6-3 after Flagler, who traveled to Beachside on Tuesday, Nov. 4 in a rain makeup game, can put themselves in better position with a win over Beachside. Lincoln was ranked 19th in 5A with Fleming Island 20th prior to the Friday game with 7A-Flagler giving Fleming Island a slight edge in the points race for the final region spot. Lincoln, though, held a slight 23.5-17.8 strength of schedule edge which is also a playoff points parameter.

Region 1-5A
1. Daytona Beach Mainland 7-2, 23.7 SOS-Strength of schedule (Beat Flagler 28-7 Sept. 5; beat Beat Seabreeze Friday 41-6; losses to 7A-Spruce Creek (8-1), 7A-Deland (9-0))
2. Ponte Vedra 8-2, (District 3-5A champion), 7th 5A, SOS 20.3, lost to 6A-Nease, 5A-Beachside 33-20)
3. Mosley, 9-1, 9th in 5A, SOS 10.0, lost to 3A-Bay 34-21 Aug. 29, beat 2A-FSUHS 26-17 season final-(4-6))
4. Beachside, 6-3, SOS 13.5, 16th in 5A, lost to 2A-Orlando Christian Prep, Middleburg, 6A-Nease) Play Fleming Island Tuesday, Nov. 4 in rain makeup.
5. Milton, 7-3, SOS 13.8, 90th in 5A, lost to Mosley, 5A-Niceville, 6A-Pace (9-1) 49-7 Oct. 31)
6. Niceville, 6-4, SOS 21.7, 13th in 5A, lost to Lincoln, Crestview, Choctawhatchee, Mosley (42-36 in OT).
7. Middleburg, 8-2, SOS -3.0, 121st in 5A, lost to Ponte Vedra, Fleming Island, beat 3A-North Marion (2-8) 43-14 Oct. 30)
8. Fleming Island, 6-3, SOS 17.8, 19th in 5A, Lost to 6A-Oakleaf, 5A-Ponte Vedra, 7A-Creekside.
9. Lincoln, 6-4, SOS 23.5, 18th in 5A, lost to 6A-Nease, 4A-Ware County (8-2) (GA), 1A-Trinity Christian Academy (6-4), 3A-Godby (4-6))

"We knew coming in that if we win both games, we could have a shot at that last playoff spot," Macpherson said. "We control what we can control and let the stats do the rest. I'm proud if we win Tuesday either way and proud of what this team has accomplished otherwise. This is a great bunch of tough players that don't quit."
In that dramatic fourth quarter, with Flagler quarterback LaDarius Simmons rumbling for 174 yards on the ground and confounding the Fleming Island defense throughout the game, Fleming Island adjusted slightly on their defense front to slow down the Bulldogs.

"We were over running the edge of the pocket, and their guy was slipping inside our defensive ends," said Fleming Island defensive coach Derek Chipoletti. "We had our defensive tackles; Landon Williams and Kyree Beaman kind of floating at the line of scrimmage to not give him those lanes."

In the final minute of the first half, with Flagler up 18-0 off that rugged run game; three scores off runs of six, 14 and 17 yards, with Fleming Island staying in striking range only with lofted pass from quarterback Eric Gentry to wide out Gavin Boyson for a 21-yard score in the final minute of the half.

In the third quarter, Fleming Island's woes mounted after a fumbled jet sweep lateral from Gentry to Tristan Stevenson went to Flagler and the Bulldogs capitalized with a fourth touchdown run to go up 25-7.

Moments later, Gentry attempted a long pass to Boyson that Flagler safety Hunter Bradley climbed over Boyson to intercept amidst screams from the Fleming Island sideline. 

"We had to regroup in the fourth quarter to get our minds right," Gentry said. "We were not getting good calls, but we were not going to give in."

Fleming Island got their first break as the fourth quarter started two plays after the interception with an errant punt snap and fumble recovery for Fleming Island putting Gentry at the Flagler 30-yard line.

A pass to Boyson and tough running from Zion Longmire put Longmire in the end zone behind tackle Corbett Yarbrough to close the gap to 25-13 with 9:40 still on the clock.
Again, Cruz made the big play up to that point with Sirdevan blooping his kickoff and Cruz catching it in legal territory to put Fleming Island again in Flagler territory; the 35-yard line.

Gentry hit Stevenson for a quick first down and running back Brady Digman carrying the rock this time to set up two plunges by Gentry to get the game to 25-20 at 7:08 to go.

"We kept our cool as we were getting opportunities and staying in the game," Gentry said. "When we got to 25-20, we knew we had a shot."

Again, a Flagler mishap, a shanked punt after a spectacular pass break up from linebacker Garrett Dewey who combined with lineback Ty Street for key stops from the Fleming Island defense.

"Those two were making plays all night," Chipoletti said. "They are small, but we will have them a couple more years and they will have good careers at Fleming Island; tough, smart and aggressive."

The Flagler shanked punt put Fleming Island at midfield with 4:19 on the clock and Gentry snuck out for a 15-yard scramble to the 30, then another 23-yard scramble to the seven to put the Golden Eagles in a winning situation.

A penalty flag moved Fleming Island back five yards, but a pass interference flag in the end zone on a fourth and 11 pass attempt to Stevenson put Gentry and Cruz at the three. Cruz pounded to the two, then rushed right standing up for the game tying score with 28.9 seconds left in the game.

The final plays of the game centered around Flagler's Simmons chucking sidelines passes quickly and efficiently to the Golden Eagle 40 until Fleming Island's defense crashed to Simmons with defensive ends Jarius Rodgers and Thomas Thrasher collapsing the pocket to tackle Simmons to end the game.

"What a way to end a game on my birthday," Thrasher said. "Coach just told us to go get him."