The Atlantic City High School football team overcame adversity Friday night.
Even better, the Vikings did it on the road.
Atlantic City scored three TDs in the fourth quarter to rally to beat Cherokee 24-20. Atlantic City (4-1) is ranked No. 8 in The Press Elite 11. Sophomore wide receiver Don’Taye Thompson caught two of the fourth-quarter TD passes for the Vikings.
The Vikings were down 20-6 when the final 12 minutes began.
Atlantic City’s comeback started when Thompson scored on a 72-yard screen pass from quarterback Marvin Burroughs to cut Cherokee’s lead to 20-12 with 11 minutes, 49 seconds left in the game.
Atlantic City still trailed by eight with less than five minutes left.
Thompson caught a pass in the flat, eluded a tackler, and sprinted 33 yards for a TD to cut the lead to 20-18 with 2:57 left.
Atlantic City recovered an onside kick at the Cherokee 45. The Vikings then took advantage of two 15-yard, late-hit penalties on Cherokee and with 1:03 left, Kyree Barksdale scored on a 5-yard run up the middle to put the Vikings up four.
The game wasn’t close to being over, however.
Cherokee drove to the Atlantic City 2. Out of timeouts, Cherokee rushed to the line of scrimmage and tried an unsuccessful quarterback sneak.
Time ran out as the Chiefs scrambled back to the line of scrimmage.
Atlantic City 0 0 6 18 -24
Cherokee 7 0 13 0 – 20
FIRST QUARTER
CH – Markovsky 7 run (kick good)
THIRD QUARTER
AC – Chambers 78 kickoff return (run fails)
CH – Berti 69 int return (kick blocked)
CH – Markovsky 3 run (kick good)
FOURTH QUARTER
AC – Thompson 72 pass from Burroughs (pass failed)
AC – Thompson 33 pass from Burroughs (pass failed)
AC – Barksdale 5 run (pass failed)
Contact: 609-272-7209
MMcGarry@PressofAC.com
X @ACPressMcGarry
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Mike McGarry
Staff Writer
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