WHITE HALL -- White Hall built a 19-0 lead on Class 5A fourth-ranked Mills, but the Comets had yet to shoot back.
Achilles Ringo completed 26 of 38 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns, including a 27-yard game winner to Tyler Johnson with 30 seconds remaining as Mills made up the deficit and beat White Hall 34-32 at Bulldog Stadium on Friday night.
White Hall (2-3, 1-2 in 5A-Central) went ahead 32-22 with 8:02 left after Jayden Smith ran for his fourth touchdown from 25 yards out. Mills (5-0, 3-0) cut the deficit to 32-28 with 5:23 left after Ringo fired to Anton Pierce for the receiver's third touchdown of the game from 11 yards out.
The Bulldogs gained two first downs on their next drive before Shaun Bell stripped quarterback Noah Smith on a third-down carry and recovered the fumble with 2:32 left. On fourth-and-12, Ringo escaped pressure and completed a pass to Q.J. King, who tightroped the Mills sideline for a 42-yard completion to the White Hall 27. Three plays later, Ringo threw the winning pass.
The Comets scored 14 unanswered points before halftime to begin their comeback.
Ringo completed 16 of 21 first-half passes, including 8 straight, and Mills converted 9 of 16 third downs and 3 of 5 fourth downs for the game to maintain their lead in the 5A-Central Conference.
Mills' opening drive stalled after 15 plays and 64 yards, and White Hall (2-2, 1-1) scored after covering 92 yards in 12 plays. Jayden Smith, who finished with 15 carries for 106 yards, rushed for his first touchdown from 3 yards out to put the Bulldogs on the board, and a punt block and recovery by James Thornton down the Mills 2 set up Noah Smith's quarterback keeper the next play. The extra-point attempt was no good.
White Hall went up by 3 touchdowns after Jayden Smith's 1-yard tote finished a 4-play, 40-yard series at the 8:39 mark of the second quarter. The Comets blocked that extra point as well.
Mills outgained White Hall 436-280 in total yards, although the Bulldogs held the Comets to 30 rushing yards. Noah Smith ran 14 times for 82 yards, but completed 2 of 13 passes for 90 yards, including a 38-yard haul for Thornton, with 2 interceptions.
White Hall's Noah Smith drops back for a pass on Friday night during the Bulldogs game against Mills. (Special to The Commercial/Jamie Hooks)