By the time the Falcons (7-3) got their bearings, the Hurricanes (5-5) had put up 14 points in the first 11 minutes and held a 21-6 lead at the break.

Fivay, however, emerged for the second half a different team. Unfortunately three big penalties and two turnovers eventually grounded the Falcons. And none was bigger than the final dagger that came with 58 seconds left in the game, when Citrus cornerback Paris Wilcox intercepted Fivay quarterback Tyler Degen's pass in the end zone.

The interception, which sealed a 28-20 win for Citrus, was exceptionally sweet for Wilcox, who was playing in the final game of his prep career. The Hurricanes were led by Darius Chapes, who rushed for a game-high 201 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns.

"We came into this game tonight extremely overconfident and they knocked us around really good in the first half," Fivay coach Chris Taylor said. "Give them all the credit. They came out and punched us straight in the mouth in that first half and it wasn't until then that we woke up. We fought back and made it a football game in the second half."

On Fivay's second possession of the third quarter, Degen engineered an eight-play scoring drive that ended on a 1-yard touchdown run by Zach Russell (11 carries for 79 yards). With the Falcons fighting to get back in the game the Hurricanes' special teams came up with a blocked punt that was recovered by Kyle Tobin, who scampered in to the end zone to give Citrus a 28-12 lead.

Fivay answered on the ensuing kickoff when James Bullock broke containment and returned the ball to the Citrus 24. Five plays later Degan forced his way into the end zone on a 1-yard run. The Falcons converted the two-point conversion and found themselves down by just one score.

With time running out Vic Taylor stripped the ball from a Citrus runner on the 37-yard line with 2:35 left. Degen delivered two great passes that gave the ball to Fivay in Citrus territory. When Davion Sutton broke free on two big runs the Falcons appeared poised to score.

Wilcox thwarted those plans when he read Degen's pass perfectly and cut in front of the Falcons receiver in the end zone.

Fivay overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Zephyrhills 48-42 in front of a raucous home crowd.

“These kids never stopped believing,” Fivay coach Chris Taylor said. “That’s what we’ve learned to do this season.”

The Falcons (6-2), in only their second season as a varsity program, were led by the three-headed offensive attack of tailback Kyrie Rodriguez, quarterback Tyler Degen (17-of-24 for 206 yards, three touchdowns) and receiver James Bullock (15 catches, 167 yards, two touchdowns).

Leaning early and often on Rodriguez, the Falcons pounded the ball with the running game behind their workhorse. The senior carried the ball a career-high 33 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

But Zephyrhills (5-3) kept answering with the big plays. Though the Bulldogs were outgained offensively, recorded only six first downs to 23 for Fivay and had more than twice as many penalties, it was the speed of Jamal Roberts that kept them in it.

Though Roberts rushed for 205 yards on only 14 carries, he also lost three fumbles. His touchdown runs of 62, 64 and 58 yards were achieved with speed and many broken tackles.

The Bulldog defense also capitalized on Falcon miscues. Among the four Fivay turnovers was a fumble that Adrian Sanchez brought back 97 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Sanchez also brought a kickoff back 94 yards for another score.

All of these big plays led to a 42-33 lead for Zephyrhills with just over five minutes left. The lead wouldn’t derail Fivay. Rodriguez capped the next Falcon drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with three minutes left.

Taylor called for an onside kick at that point, and his team executed.  The followup drive finished with a 29-yard toss from Degen to Bullock for the go-ahead TD.

“I just threw it off my back foot,” Degen said, “and Bullock did what he always does. He came down with it.”