With Robertson's kick, the Eagles, in their third state semifinal appearance last Friday, finally had the lead in a game they had trailed by 14 and were just more than four minutes from punching the school's first ticket to the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association's championship.
But a lot can change in 4:13, and as Asheville School's Malik Risher proved, 14 seconds of work can turn the tide, too.
While SouthLake celebrated its new lead, Risher took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards the other way to give Asheville School the 21-17 advantage that proved final. With one play, SouthLake's momentum evaporated.
"Risher just made a heck of a run," said SouthLake coach Rich Landis.
Risher is the Blues' top playmaker. He rushed for 94 yards and scored on a 20-yard run in the first quarter. But his kick return showed his ability to perform in the clutch.
"He's done that for us all year," said Asheville School coach Roger Harris. "He's our leader. He's our guy."
SouthLake (10-2) drove to the Blues' 21 in the final moments, with the help of two fourth-down penalties on Asheville School, the second of which was an oddly timed sideline warning. But Will DuBose picked off SouthLake's Randy Schroeder with less than a minute to play to end it.
Landis said there were too many SouthLake miscues on a night when the Eagles needed to play error-free. The tightness of the contest only made the loss tougher to take.
"You almost wish you got beat by 20," said Landis. "That's the most difficult way to lose a game."
Asheville School (9-2) advanced to face First Assembly (8-3) in this week's Division II final.
Comeback
SouthLake trailed 14-0 after touchdown runs by Chad Koehler and Risher, but the Eagles cut the gap to 14-7 at the half with a touchdown in the final seconds of the second quarter.
It wasn't without drama, however. On third-and-goal from Asheville School's 6-yard line and 30 seconds to play, Asheville School's Naeem Swinton intercepted Schroeder in the end zone. But the Blues immediately turned the ball over, when Koehler fumbled and SouthLake's Jake Hatfield recovered at the Blues' 8. Three plays later, Schroeder hit Sam Hatfield for an 11-yard score with 5.9 seconds to play in the half.
The Eagles tied the game on their second drive of the third quarter, when Alex Rose's 20-yard scoring run capped a nine-play, 61-yard drive.
Senior moments
SouthLake set a school record for wins in a season, and Landis credits much of that success to the largest class of seniors his team has ever fielded: 13.
He said the younger Eagle players will benefit from watching and playing alongside those seniors in a memorable year.
"A lot of special moments and a bunch of great kids," said Landis.
