Eleven seconds into the second half, the game was tied, emotion had swung and Navarre's sideline was full of silence.
The Raiders' Johnny Robinson-Pettus was kicking himself for this sudden turnaround.
The senior put responsibility on his shoulders for Lake City Columbia's talented tailback Ronald Timmons' 65-yard touchdown run on the opening play.
Now, a 21-0 lead was lost and Navarre looked in trouble. Until it all ended well for the Raiders.
"My fault," said Robinson-Pettus, amid the euphoria on the field after Navarre's riveting 28-21 victory Friday night in the Region 1-6A championship game at jam-packed Bennett C. Russell Stadium.
"I let the ball get outside of me. I said I am not going to let that happen again," Robinson continued. "As a defense, we knew we had to step it up if we wanted to make it to state (championship)."
Oh, did Navarre's defense ever step up. Columbia never scored again.
Determined defense
With the determined effort from players like Robinson-Pettus, the Raiders' reclaimed tempo and resolve in one fell swoop. Columbia never scored again.
What's more, the Tigers were thwarted on a first-and-goal from the 9 with less than five minutes left, then forced into a game-sealing interception in the final minute.
"It was a pretty special effort by our defense," said Navarre coach Jay Walls.
In a state playoff game that Navarre will forever remember, the Raiders countered Columbia's massive offensive line, forced the Tigers into throwing the ball more than they ever wanted.
"We thought all along that their running game downhill (straight ahead) suited our defense," Walls said. "We knew we would do a good job with that. But they started masking it and hurting us with their speed. We got in there (at halftime) and talked about making them run sideways and make plays."
The Tigers did not have the kind of passing game to scare anyone. But they did have an offensive line led by mammoth tackle Laremy Tunsil, considered one of the nation's best offensive line prospects.
"We got quickness," Robinson-Pettus said. "We know we're not the biggest team in the area, but we have quickness. We played Niceville and they have just as big of an O-line, so this was nothing new."
What is new is Navarre High in the final four of Class 6A in Florida. In a state this large, with this much talent, you can't measure how special of a feat has been attained.
Even better, the Raiders get to host the state semifinal next week against Gainesville High.
"It's unreal," Robinson-Pettus said. "It's crazy. I can't put it into words."
Special team, special game
This is one special team that just played one special game.
"These kids ... I could see it in January," Walls said. "They just really worked. And it's paid off."
It's paid off with a unified team, great fan support and players like Robinson-Pettus and Andrew Rieves, who was planning on playing defense until injuries forced him into the quarterback role.
He took some heavy hits throughout the game. He struggled to get up on some occasions. But then he beautifully directed a winning touchdown drive with 7:11 remaining and watched his defensive teammates shut the door.
"I love my defense, they are my brothers," said Rieves, who played linebacker last season. "I love my offense too, but the defense is like my family."
What a bond this has become throughout the entire Navarre community. It's what a high school football team can do. The stadium was overflow with emotion.
The game was as good as it gets.
"This was the best atmosphere I have ever played in for a football game," Robinson-Pettus said. "The crowd was going crazy. They helped us out all season."
They will get another chance to help again in six days.
