Falcons strike early and late, but fall short in opener, 23-15

The football team got a tough test in its first game after moving back to Class 5A. Despite a late-game comeback attempt, Dacula lost at Mill Creek last Friday, 23-15. In a game where both offenses sputtered throughout much of the contest, the Falcons experienced an offensive lull in the middle. The team scored in the first quarter on a long pass play from Hunter Watts to Marshall Steed, tying the game at 7-7. But the Falcons wouldn’t score again until the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 23-15 after a 2-yard touchdown run by Aashad Holloway and a two-point conversion. Dacula would get two more chances to score at the end of the game, but the first ended in an interception, and the second (after a Mill Creek fumble) stalled at the Hawks’ 33-yard line after a pass breakup. The Falcons host Collins Hill this Friday at 7:30 p.m. … The boys cross country team finished eighth out of 20 teams at The Stage Races in Suwanee back on Aug. 23. Mike McClay took second in the fifth stage.