Mikel Hawks will be a pretty popular man in the hallways of George Wythe High School come Monday. However, his coach i

sn’t going to cut him any slack in practice.'

"We still work him in at wideout," said George Wythe coach H.S. Ingo. "I told him I don’t want him thinking he’s just a kicker."

Hawks was in full kicker mode Friday night and booted the decisive extra point with 1:20 remaining, clinching George Wythe’s 14-13 Hogoheegee District win over Chilhowie.

George Wythe (3-3, 1-0) ran its winning streak against district opponents to 21 and has the inside track on yet another Hogoheegee crown. It was also the fourth game the Maroons have played this season that was decided by fewer than four points.

"We try to make them exciting," Ingo said.

After GW quarterback Alex Willis hit streaking tight end Hardy Lester across the middle for a 47-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13, Hawks put up a kick that barely squeaked through the left upright.

"My heart was beating," Hawks said. "I knew I had to put it through so we could get the district in our hands. … I couldn’t ask more from the guys. They got me down there and I put it through."

It appeared Hawks would not get a chance as Chilhowie (5-2, 1-1) came alive in the fourth quarter behind the steady passing of senior quarterback Rhett Sturgill.

Sturgill hooked up with Brett Johnson on an 74-yard score with 6:40 left and then gave Chilhowie the lead when he threw an 85-yard TD pass to his younger brother, Reid Sturgill, who was completely uncovered by the GW secondary and streaked up the sideline for the go-ahead score.

However, the extra point failed and proved to be costly. It was that kind of night for the Warriors, who lost four fumbles and were flagged for six penalties.

"I think we were just so fired up wanting this game, I think we weren’t really focused on what we were supposed to do," said Chilhowie coach Larry Russell. "In the second half, we played good ball, we just came up short on the scoreboard."

Willis showed his poise on the final drive. After a nice kickoff return by Hunter Tolley, the sophomore went to work. The game-winning drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on a fourth-and-10 pass play intended for Lester.

It was vehemently protested by the Chilhowie coach staff, but Lester had a differing opinion.

"It was a good call," Lester said.

On a second-and-15 play, Willis threw a perfect pass to Lester, who outraced the Chilhowie defense into the end zone. Willis had been forced to miss some time earlier in the game after receiving a vicious hit from Chilhowie’s Tyler Austin.

"Just tremendous," Ingo said of Willis. "He doesn’t understand quit. He’s growing up in front of us and he’s very coachable."

That set the stage for the extra point by the 6-foot-1, 136-pound Hawks after the big play by the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Lester. Hawks was a special teams star, as he also punted six times for an average of 34 yards in a game where field position was of the upmost importance.

Meanwhile, the GW defense did a solid job containing Chilhowie star Brett Johnson. Johnson rushed for 74 yards on 25 carries, while catching five passes for 111 yards.

"We’ve been playing defense all year long against good football teams," Ingo said.

As a result, the Maroons continue to control the Hogoheegee District. The team still has four district games remaining.

"It’s always our goal," Lester said. "We always look forward to winning the Hogoheegee District."