ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — The Dougherty Trojans are WALB’s Team of the Week after overcoming a 16-point halftime deficit to beat the Syrupmakers.

The offense scored a touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter, and Christian Hernandez kicked the game-winning field goal to complete the comeback.

The win puts Dougherty at the top of the region standings.

Joyner reacts to comeback

“Our kids, they work hard, man, and we just never say die with these kids,” Uyl Joyner said. “The locker room just challenged them because all of my four-year guys, man, they should have bailed on me a long time ago, man. But they stayed with me, and I’m just happy for them, man.”

Joyner said the team made adjustments after halftime.

“We knew we had some plays,” he said. “Michah was pressing a little bit, trying to do it on his own. And we just told him, man, use your legs, man, and get these balls out to these short guys and let them run for you, man. And he did that, man.”

He credited the team’s receivers, including David Burgess.

“Our receivers, they did what they’ve been doing all year,” Joyner said. “They made plays for us, man. That doggone David Burgess, man. That kid is amazing. That number eight is amazing, man.”

He trusted Hernandez to make the final kick.

“I just had to go pray a little bit, man,” he said. “I’m wearing my guardian angels with me every day, man. And I had to pray a little bit, man. I knew Christian, man. This is probably one of the unsung heroes of this team, man. And he let it be known tonight that he’s one of our guys.”

Kicker describes game-winning moment

Both teams called timeouts before Hernandez’s final attempt.

“Honestly, the same thing that any kicker does,” Hernandez said. “A little bit of, honestly, fear. But at the same time, that’s the moment when you find out what you’re truly made of. Because while they, yeah, they did give two timeouts, that just made me even more, you know, more truthful, you know, what I can do.”

Hernandez said the moment was something he had thought about for years.

“That last field goal was honestly a dream of mine since freshman year,” Hernandez said. “Winning game, winning field goal, first in the region. That’s just something anyone can dream of. And I’m just glad it was able to become reality for me.”

Player reflects on win, region standing

Micah Joyner said the win was a team effort.

“I feel great,” Joyner said. “I feel like it was a team effort today. You know, thanks to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without him, you know, we wouldn’t be put in this situation right now. You know, and this is a huge win.”

Dougherty is now No. 1 in its region.

“Yes, sir, that’s the feeling,” he said. “We’re the number one in the region. We’re coming to be region champions. This was like a region championship game. And we took it like a region championship game.”

Joyner said the team’s goal is to reach the state championship.

“I feel like we’re going to make it to state,” he said. “That’s our goal. The standard is the standard. We are a state championship, but that’s how we are thinking this year.”

Hernandez said he could not predict the team’s ceiling.

“Honestly, with this team, I can’t really give you that answer, because every game they just give more and more and just prove that they’re worth being on the field,” Hernandez said.

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