“Stop letting them whoop you”: How the Adams brothers’ delivered Antioch another tight win against FRA
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Antioch trailed by 11 points in the third quarter Friday night, but the Bears rallied behind a familiar connection to earn a 34-31 win over Franklin Road Academy.
With 24 seconds remaining, Andre Adams connected with his younger brother, Aaden “Bug” Adams, for the go-ahead touchdown. Evan Davis then intercepted a pass to seal the victory, capping Antioch’s comeback after trailing 31-20 in the third quarter.
The finish was especially meaningful for Aaden, a wide receiver and cornerback who decided last year’s 64-62 thriller with an interception. This time, he delivered the decisive play on offense.
“Andre told me you got a go ball, run it, and catch it,” Aaden said. “I went and caught it.”
Andre said he has watched his younger brother develop as a receiver and trusts him to make plays in critical moments.
“Bug has grown a lot as a wide receiver and could say he fills that spot where Brandon Goliday was last year,” Andre said. “I trust him to make a play on the ball however it’s thrown. No surprise he did what he did.”
FRA (5-3) took an early lead on Kwadir Fletcher’s first-quarter rushing touchdown, but Antioch answered when Andre found Matthew Coleman for a 62-yard score. The teams continued trading touchdowns, with Coleman catching a second scoring pass before FRA took a 24-14 advantage into halftime behind Fletcher’s second rushing touchdown and a 26-yard field goal from Jesse Duncan.
Antioch’s defense also came up with a key play in the second quarter when Micah Palmer intercepted a pass. Palmer said the play sparked an emotional response from the Bears (8-0).
“I was very ecstatic, the pick changed the momentum,” Palmer said. “Lot of emotions going through my mind, just happy we got the win.”
Fletcher added another touchdown in the third quarter after Evan Davis scored on a 3-yard run, extending FRA’s lead to 31-20. Antioch responded with an Andre Adams rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter before the brothers connected for the game-winner.
On the decisive drive, Andre knew the Bears needed a play on fourth-and-10. Once he decided to run, his focus was on reaching the end zone. He picked up 22 yards, dragging multiple FRA defenders along the way.
“I knew it was fourth and needed something,” Andre said. “Once I made up my mind to run, I was just thinking, don’t go down and score.”
Antioch coach Arcentae Broome said he challenged his team to respond physically after FRA established control.
“Stop getting punked, stop getting beat up, stop letting them whoop you,” Broome said.
The Bears responded, and Broome trusted Andre to make a play when the game was on the line.
“That’s vintage Andre Adams,” Broome said. “He’s going to give us a play when we need a play.”
After Aaden’s go-ahead touchdown, Davis recorded the final interception to secure the victory. Davis said the play fulfilled a longtime dream.
“I felt accomplished after that interception,” Davis said. “That’s something I’ve always dreamed of, getting a game-winning play. It felt good.”
The Bears overcame a double-digit deficit – the first one they had faced all season – in winning their eighth consecutive game. They head into their open date undefeated for the second consecutive year and will host Clarksville on Oct. 23, looking to win their first region title since 2011.
