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But he didn't seem to notice.
Just before he passed the endzone, the Hilton Head High football coach paused, turned back toward the field and let out a loud yell.
"This has been a long time coming," he said afterward.
But indeed it has finally become a reality.
Hilton Head High defeated Battery Creek 19-0 Friday night and clinched the Region 8-AAA championship -- the first for Singleton in his six years as the school's coach.
"I'm so happy for my seniors because they started with nothing," Singleton said. "It's the epitome of building a championship. They earned every bit of it, through all the ups and downs. It's an awesome, awesome feeling."
And it was never in doubt.
The Seahawks defense forced fumbles on Battery Creek's first two drives and capitalized on the pair of turnovers each time with touchdowns -- a Lawrence Jenkins 5-yard run and Ben Fraser 1-yard run.
The Dolphins (3-6, 2-2 Region 8-AAA) fumbled four times in the game, likely an effect of the consistent heavy rain that covered the field at Hilton Head Island Community Stadium.
"It was way past horrible," said Dolphins running back Tavaras Pinckney, who slipped on several occasions while trying to make cuts. "This is the worst weather I've ever played in my life."
Marcus Green, however, was hardly bothered. The Seahawks running back tallied 139 yards on 19 carries and drove over potential Battery Creek tacklers throughout the game.
But it wasn't exactly a perfect night for the senior. Green didn't bring his No. 1 jersey to the game.
"I dug through my bag. When I didn't see it, I was like 'Oh my gosh, I forgot my jersey,'" Green said. "They gave me this No. 16 to wear tonight."
Green found a perfect fit.
He ran for five of the team's nine first downs. Battery Creek stacked the box throughout the game against a Seahawks offense that attempted only two passes. But it was to no avail.
"All I hear every week is all these other guys are the best backs in our region," Singleton said. "I'll tell you one thing -- Marcus Green is the best back in the region. ... You saw what our back does and what he's capable of doing."
Dominque Driessen added a four-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Khiry Washington for the 19-0 final. Green's total yardage surpassed what the Dolphins were able to earn for the game. Battery Creek gained just 122 yards against a Seahawks defense that has been nothing short of dominant during region play.
The Seahawks (7-2, 4-0) twice held Battery Creek scoreless inside its own red zone. The Dolphins had first-and-goal from the 6 in the second quarter but failed to score when Kenny Robinson sacked Battery Creek quarterback Antonio Wiggs on a fourth down play.
According to Seahawks' leading tackler Kenny Anderson, the team was playing with a little extra motivation to preserve the shutout.
"Our defensive coaches told us we'd get free Wild Wings if we get a shutout. That was definitely, definitely motivation," linebacker Kenny Anderson said. "It better happen."
If it does, it won't happen until Tuesday at the earliest. Singleton closed out his post-game speech by giving his players an extra day off from practice Monday.
"These guys have made me so proud," Singleton said. "They're playing their hearts out. There's not a more deserving bunch of kids to win this championship."
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
| Battery Creek | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hilton Head High | 12 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
First Quarter
HHH--Lawrence Jenkins 5 run (run failed), 9:23.
HHH--Ben Fraser 1 run (run failed), 6:40.
Fourth Quarter
HHH--Khiry Washington 4 pass from Dominque Driessen (Matt Olivetti kick), 4:11.
| BC | HHH | |
| First downs | 7 | 9 |
| Rush | 5 | 6 |
| Pass | 2 | 0 |
| Pen. | XX | 3 |
| Rushes-yards | 34-102 | 34-214 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 1-11-0 | 2-2-0 |
| Passing yards | 20 | 18 |
| Return yards | 86 | 38 |
| Punts | 2-24 | 1-46 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 4-2 | 3-2 |
| Penalties-Yards | 8-70 | 8-80 |
| Third-down conv. | 2-11 | 1-5 |
| Fourth-down conv. | 2-4 | 0-0 |
| Time of Possession | 23:50 | 24:10 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Battery Creek, Antonio Hills 12-76, Tavaras Pinckney 14-48, Antonio Wiggs 8-(minus 22). Hilton Head High, Marcus Green 19-139, Lawrence Jenkins 8-57, Ben Fraser 5-17, Jaquan Cohen 1-2, Dominque Driessen 1-(minus 1).
PASSING--Battery Creek, Wiggs 1-11-0-20. Hilton Head High, Driessen 2-2-0-18.
RECEIVING--Battery Creek, Alex Sharpe 1-20. Hilton Head High, Jenkins 1-14, Khiry Washington 1-4.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--None.
