Ronnie Flowers had been waiting for this opportunity.
Friday night at a packed French Field, the moment finally came for the second-year Kentwood High senior.
Flowers intercepted a pair of passes, the second of which he returned 55 yards in the fourth quarter to seal ninth-ranked Kentwood’s 19-7 victory over Auburn in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
“I got an opportunity to come back and play, and I took that opportunity,” said Flowers, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility before the season began due to a family hardship by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. “At first, I thought I should just bat (the ball) down (on the 55-yard interception returned for a touchdown). I hadn’t scored in so long, my self-pride got into me and I wanted to score more than anything.”
It has been a long road for Flowers, who just two years ago was an up-and-coming running back who coach Rex Norris noted had “all-state” potential. Knee injuries and “family issues” wipe away two straight years, Flowers said.
After two trying years, Friday night couldn’t have gone better for the former running back, who has since been moved to defensive back to protect a left knee that’s not quite 100 percent.
“What a comeback story for him,” said Norris. “Two knee injuries, a fifth year (of high school), and he’s a great kid. He’s gone through all kinds of adversity and life changes, but he stuck with it.”
Flowers’ big play helped Kentwood (4-0 in league, 5-0 overall) end Auburn’s SPSL North winning streak at 27 games. Auburn (4-1, 4-1) has won the last two SPSL North titles. Kentwood’s win helped set up another showdown between unbeatens. The Conquerors will play Kentlake (5-0, 5-0) at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at French Field. The Falcons knocked off Tahoma Friday night, 33-21.
In a defensive showdown between the SPSL North’s two highest scoring teams, turnovers proved to be the difference. Auburn turned the ball over five times while Kentwood gave the ball away just once. In addition, all three of Kentwood’s touchdowns came off of Auburn turnovers.
“You can’t win a game like that by making mistakes,” said Auburn coach Gordon Elliott. “And we made many more mistakes than they did.”
Auburn’s first mistake came on its third play from scrimmage, when Kentwood’s Visa Thach scooped up Austin Embody’s fumble at the Trojans’ 33-yard line. Eight plays later, Kentwood’s Mikell Everette ran in from 5-yards out to give the Conquerors a 6-0 first-quarter lead.
Auburn didn’t respond until its first drive of the second quarter, marching 80 yards on 16 plays, and chewing up nine minutes of the game clock along the way. Auburn quarterback Max Pratt capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Trojans a 7-6 lead that would last until the decisive fourth quarter. It was the first time all season that Kentwood had been behind.
The tone for the final 12 minutes was set on Auburn’s first play from scrimmage, when Kentwood’s Taylor Kempf picked up a Pratt fumble at the Trojans’ 44-yard line. The turnover led to an Everette 7-yard touchdown run that gave the Conquerors a 12-7 lead with 9:44 to play.
Auburn had three more chances to re-take the lead, but turned the ball over each time, the last two of which were interceptions by Flowers.
“I am just glad I got this opportunity to come back. Both years we’ve played Auburn when I was here, they beat us. And to get them back means a lot,” Flowers said. “I’m not going to get any sleep tonight. I’m excited.”
The tightly contested game between the SPSL North’s highest-scoring offenses (Kentwood came in averaging 53 points per contest, and Auburn 42) was a defensive struggle throughout. Kentwood finished with 256 yards of offense and 13 first downs. Everette led all running backs with 93 yards on 18 carries. Auburn finished with 172 yards on the ground – 200 total – on 38 carries.
Auburn hadn’t lost an SPSL North game since Sept. 1, 2005, when the Trojans fell to the Conquerors, 14-7. That also was the last time Auburn has been held to as few as seven points in a league game.
“They were probably the best team we’ve faced so far. They stacked the line, and that’s something new for us,” said Auburn running back Alphonse Wade, who was held to 56 yards on 14 carries. “We didn’t take care of the details, and made too many mistakes. Those are the things that determined the outcome of the game.”
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