Aquinas closed out the 2009 football season on a high note on Friday, Nov. 6, with their first victory over Washington-Wilkes in 29 years.

Senior David Mysona figures his Aquinas team has been a part of just as many homecoming games as a visiting squad as it has at its own stadium because other schools perceive games against the Irish as easy victories.

"We take that personally," Mysona said.

On Friday night, the Irish showed how far they have come this season, dispatching Washington-Wilkes, 28-12. It was the Irish's first victory over Washington-Wilkes since 1980.

"It's really exciting because it all came down to this, do or die," said Mysona, who ran for a team-high 63 yards and thought at the time that the Irish had made the playoffs.

First-year Aquinas head coach Matt LeZotte said that this win was unique because of the way the Irish (5-5, 2-3 Region 7-A) not only won, but completely outplayed the Tigers (5-5, 2-3 Region 7-A).

"Our guys played with a different motivation. We dominated the game," LeZotte said. "This could've been another mediocre, 4-6 team."

The Tigers opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 7-yard run from Deon Arnold, one of two touchdowns for the junior.

That lead appeared as if it would hold up through halftime, but the Irish had other ideas.

After Aquinas recovered a fumble on Washington-Wilkes' side of the field with under a minute to go in the half, LeZotte called a double-pass play. It worked to perfection, as senior Garrett Pippin found freshman Brendan Douglas on a 28-yard touchdown reception. The scoring play put Aquinas up for good at 7-6.

"I've never seen our crowd get that crazy," Douglas said of the reaction to the touchdown.

After the victory, the Irish were holding out hope that they would clinch a spot in the Class A state playoffs, but they had to wait until the next day to learn their fate.

But Saturday morning, the Irish found out the disappointing news: Lincoln County, Wilkinson County, Washington-Wilkes and Warren County will represent Region 7-A in the Georgia High School Association playoffs next week. Aquinas, Washington-Wilkes and Warren County tied for the final two playoff spots with a 2-3 region record. The tiebreaker that booted the Irish out was total record against Class A teams. Washington-Wilkes was .500, while Warren County and Aquinas were 3-5 and 2-4, respectively. Washington-Wilkes was awarded the No. 3 seed, and Warren County advances because it defeated Aquinas head-to-head.

"There's nothing else we can do," LeZotte said. "It's the 2010 season now as far as we're concerned."

Aquinas could not count wins over Glascock County and Georgia Military in the tiebreaker because those Class A schools do not play a region schedule.

"That's the way it's always been," said Lincoln County coach Larry Campbell, who has coached at the school since 1972. "They don't count for you; they don't count against you."

LeZotte was discouraged with the news, because he said his team played its best game of the season Friday, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 1980.

"That was the loudest I've ever heard our stadium," he said. "Now I know what it feels like when the BCS doesn't always take the best teams. That's exactly how I feel right now."

Source: The Augusta Chronicle