After trailing the entire game, the Macon-East Knights took control of the game in the final 2:30 to claim a dramatic 27-23 victory over top-ranked Fort Dale.

The Knights drove 95 yards on a drive that included a 50-yard hook and ladder play before punching it in from the 2-yard line with 26 seconds to play.

“They whupped us,” said head coach Speed Sampley. “We needed to play our best football in the fourth quarter, and obviously we didn’t do that.”

The Eagles got on the board first in the second quarter when Macon-East snapped the ball over the quarterback’s head for a safety, and FDA added a 15-yard touchdown run from Hunter Armstrong a minute and a half later for a 9-0 lead.

The Knights connected on a 45-yard touchdown pass to make the score 9-6 at halftime.

Armstrong again found the endzone in the third quarter on a two-yard run, but the Knights responded by running the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

Daniel Lowe hauled in a seven-yard touchdown catch to extend the lead to 23-13 with 6:56 to play in the game, but just over a minute later, Macon-East scored on a 58-yard pass to cut the score to 23-20.

“They just got the job done, and we didn’t,” Sampley said. “They moved the ball better on us than anyone else has, and I didn’t expect that, so we’ve got to work on that. If you’re not prepared every week, you’re going to fool around and lose one. That doesn’t just fall on the players — it’s also on us coaches.”

Armstrong was the leading passer for the Eagles, going 10-19 for 134 yards. He also rushed for 86 yards on 18 carries. Todd Burkett had 64 yards receiving and Lowe recorded six tackles.