Green Hope halts Apex football’s comeback bid

Despite a strong fourth-quarter push from Ian Boyd and the Apex Cougars, Green Hope (5-3) held off Southwest Wake Athletic Conference opponent Apex on homecoming night.

The Falcons (5-3, 2-2) were led by senior quarterback Tucker Burkinshaw, who ended the night with 261 passing yards and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). His top target, Conner Redick, had six catches on the night for 125 yards and a score.

“We’re good friends off the field and I think it just carries over to the football field,” Burkinshaw said. “He’s a big target, he can jump and I have a lot of confidence in him.”

Offensively, Green Hope had a really good night. Along with the 261 passing yards, the Falcons rushed for 209 yards and three TDs.

The Falcons’ defense on the other hand, fell apart in the 4th quarter.

“We’ve got to be able to finish,” coach Kwame Dixon stated. “We have to be able to recover onside kicks, we have to be able to cover downfield, and we have to tackle. But the reality is, we’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss.”

After scoring their second TD in the final period, Apex (3-6, 2-3) recovered the onside kick and capitalized a few plays later to bring them within striking distance. However, the comeback was a little too late.

“The kids fought hard and I’m very proud of them because they could have gave up,” Apex head coach Robert Graham said.

After putting Ian Boyd in at QB midway through the 4th quarter, Apex went on to score 21 of their 26 fourth-quarter points. Boyd completed 8 of his 13 passes and finished with 160 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“Depending on what Grayson (Boyd)’s situation is, Ian might be the quarterback next week”, Graham added.

Apex goes up against Panther Creek next week while Green Hope will face Cary.

Turning point

Once Ian Boyd lined up under center, the whole game changed. He made big play after big play and Apex found themselves only down 7 after trailing by 21 points with a little over 6 minutes to go.

Three who mattered

Tucker Burkinshaw, Green Hope: The senior completed 78 percent of his passes and finished with three passing TDs. He also ran one in from four yards out in the 3rd quarter.

Trevor Losito, Green Hope: Losito was a dual-threat out of the backfield, scoring twice on the night (one rushing, one receiving). He led the rushing attack (97 yards on 13 carries) and caught four passes for 50 yards.

Ian Boyd, Apex: Boyd had a spectacular fourth quarter. He willed Apex back into the game, as he threw three TD passes on three straight drives.

By the numbers

47: Points scored in the fourth quarter by both teams.

9: Different players that caught a pass for Green Hope.

4: Minutes it took for Ian Boyd to throw three touchdowns.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 12:42 AM with the headline "Green Hope halts Apex football’s comeback bid."