BETHESDA — After being down 17-0 in the third quarter on a day where seemingly nothing could fall their way, Gonzaga head coach Randy Trivers kept ushering his weathered Eagles through the mid-game crisis.
“Never fear the adversity, embrace the adversity,” Trivers said. “Never fear the challenges, embrace it.”
With “overrated” chants casting out the dwindled cheers of the Eagle student student section, No. 7 Gonzaga stayed the course and chipped away to erase the deficit and upend host No. 25 Georgetown Prep, 21-20.
In a game in which they trailed for 43:54 of the 48 minutes, Trivers didn’t waver from his motto “NEF”. It stands for staying in the present, now; embracing the adversity, and then finishing the job.
The blueprint was tested on Saturday afternoon, but proved robust and fueled late dramatics.
“That’s what we teach and preach,” Trivers said. “It came to life today.”
Through the first quarter and a half, Gonzaga (3-1) only mustered 32 total net yards.
It almost seemed like every chance they had, the opportunity slipped away. In the waning seconds of the first half, the Eagles marched 94 yards down the field only to get stuffed at the goal line on 4th-and-1 as time expired.
Midway through the third quarter, down 17-0, another chance at the goal line was stuffed out by a Georgetown Prep defense who played marvelous for much of three quarters.
Later in the third, a punt was muffed and recovered by Georgetown Prep.
“When that happens, it spells disaster,” Trivers said. “We were able to hang in there.”
Gonzaga didn’t get on the scoreboard until 1:03 left in the third quarter when Tyree Randolph found the end zone from 10 yards out to draw the game to 17-7.
Georgetown Prep followed it with a field goal to make it 20-7, but on the ensuing Gonzaga drive, Sam Brown connected with Randolph across the middle on a 62-yard catch and run to cut the Hoyas lead to 20-14 with 8:12 remaining.
“I had to make a play,” Randolph said, who finished with 247 total yards and two total touchdowns. “And I made it when I needed too. … That was a big momentum shift.”
Three plays later, Gonzaga linebacker Mitchell Johns jumped a passing lane to pick off Hoyas backup quarterback Zack Ridgely with 6:46 to go.
“We’ve been preparing all practice for that type of boot play,” Johns said. “When I saw the fullback run out into the flat, I jumped the route and that’s how it happened.”
The turnover set up the game-winning drive, which went 27-yards in eight plays, and was highlighted by a pivotal 4th-and-7 conversion.
Brown’s 1-yard sneak with 4:06 to go gave the Eagles the lead for good.
Mitchell, who is a captain, then snagged the game-clinching interception after Georgetown Prep drove all the way down to the Gonzaga 46-yard line with under two minutes to go.
“He’s a tremendously impactful guy for us on defense,” Trivers said. “That’s what we expect of him, that’s what he expects out of himself, to make those type of plays. He certainly came up big for us today.”
Georgetown Prep, meanwhile, endured a heartbreaking loss. Their quarterback, Jim Milloy, exited the contest with one minute remaining in the third. Hoyas running back T.J. Dozier finished with 82 yards rushing and one touchdown. It came on just one play in the second quarter.
For the fifth straight year, Gonzaga hoisted the Coupe-Kozik Cup. And though it was the 14th annual Jesuit Gridiron Classic, the two schools have been playing each other since 1891.
“It’s a great win for Gonzaga, a great win for our kids,” Trivers said. “When you come from behind in dramatic fashion like that, it’s very satisfying. You’d like them to be a little easier, I don’t know how many years have been taken off my life today, but certainly, it’s nice to be on the good end of one like that.”
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| No. 7 GCHS (3-1) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| No. 25 GP (2-1) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
Scoring summary
First quarter
None
Second quarter
GP — Ultan Horrigan 24-yard field goal, 11:55
GP — T.J. Dozier 82-yard run (PAT good), 10:10
Third quarter
GP — Aidan McCleary 40-yard pass from Jim Milloy (PAT good), 11:45
GCHS — Tyree Randolph 10-yard run (PAT good), 1:03
Fourth quarter
GP — Ultan Horrigan 25-yard field goal, 8:25
GCHS — Tyree Randolph 62-yard pass from Sam Brown (PAT good), 8:12
GCHS — Sam Brown 1-yard run (PAT good), 4:06
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