In perhaps the best high school football game this writer has ever seen, the Allen County-Scottsville Patriots defeated the Grayson County Cougars 38-35 on a 35-yard field goal with two seconds showing on the clock.
The game featured two runners, both of whom ran for more than 200 yards in the game and each scored three touchdowns. Plus Grayson County had another runner go over a hundred yards on the night, but two missed Grayson County extra points and a missed field goal that looked good from the sidelines turned out to be difference makers.
Torrential rains and severe lightning before the game pushed the start back from 7 p.m. until 7:30, but the skies remained dry until the very end of the game, and the field was in excellent shape despite the rain. Perfect conditions for the runners on both sides.
The Patriots senior running back, Kelly Weger carried the ball 29 times for 238 yards and three touchdowns, while Cougar sophomore Q’Daryius McHenry carried 21 times for 218 yards and three scores. Two of McHenry’s touchdown runs accounted for 113 yards. In addition, Grayson County senior Derrick Ruth ran for 123 yards on 19 carries.
In all, the Cougars rushed for 365 yards and four scores. Quarterback Noah Bullock ran for one touchdown and threw for another, 10 yards to senior Cameron Harris.
Grayson County forced a punt on the first Patriot possession, then moved 70-yards in seven plays to take their first lead of the night. McHenry scored from six yards out, but Ryan Coates’ extra-point try was wide and the score stayed at 6-0 with 7:09 left in the first quarter.
The Patriots answered back, moving 61 yards in seven plays to take a 7-6 lead at the 3:58 mark. Weger scored the first of his three touchdowns from the five.
As the second quarter began, the Cougars were driving, having moved from their own 25, down to the Patriot eight before stalling. Coach Ed Smart sent Coates out to try a 25-yard field goal, and while the kick had plenty of distance and had everyone on the sideline yelling that it was good, the officials under the goal posts signaled it was wide right.
When the Cougars forced another punting situation, the Patriots elected to try a trick play instead of punting and an incomplete pass gave the Cougars the ball at the Allen County 38. Nine plays later, on a fourth-and-four at the 10-yard line, Bullock hit Harris, who was completely uncovered, for a touchdown. Smart sent out Logan Raymer to kick the extra point, but his effort went wide left, and the Cougars led 12-7.
On their next possession, the Patriots faced another fourth down, but Harris sacked quarterback Zane Ward, and the Cougars took over at their own 45-yard line.
On first down, McHenry took the ball and started around the right side. Finding his way blocked, he reversed his field to try the left side. That way quickly was blocked as well, so he reversed one more time and suddenly found clear sailing and carried 55 yards for his second touchdown. McHenry then ran in a two-point conversion to give the Cougars a 20-7 lead with 1:28 left in the half.
But 1:28 turned out to be plenty of time for the Patriots to put up an answering score. After driving 53 yards in six plays, Trace McIntyre, one head of the two-headed monster the Patriots use at the quarterback position, scored from 12 yards out with 57 seconds left and the teams went to their locker rooms with the Cougars leading 20-14.
Grayson County had the ball to start the third quarter and they made the most of it by driving 72 yards for another score while taking more than six minutes off the clock. The 12-play drive culminated with Bullock carrying in from seven yards out. Coates added the extra point and the Cougars led 27-14 at the 5:26 mark.
But the Patriots answered right back, moving 55 yards in six plays. Weger ran 38 yards for the touchdown that made it 27-21 with 3:50 left in the third quarter.
The Cougars then went three-and-out for the only time all night and had to punt the ball away. The Patriots took over at their own 20 with 2:26 left in the period, and put together their longest drive of the night. They moved 80 yards in eight plays, with Weger carrying the final 32 yards to take a 28-27 lead at the 10:48 mark of the fourth quarter.
The after empty possessions by both teams, the Patriots took over at their own 23. They then moved 73 yards in six plays, with Peyton Huff scoring from the 11-yard line with 3:26 left in the game to make it 35-27 and it seemed the Cougars were done.
But it seems all the lightning had not left the area. On the second play of the next Cougar possession, McHenry burst through a hole in the middle of the line and outraced a couple of Patriot defenders 58 yards for the final touchdown of the evening. Needing a two-pointer to tie the score, McHenry carried around the right side and would not take no for an answer, tying the score at 35-35 with 3:00 left to play.
That was just enough time for the Patriots to move down deep into Cougar territory. An incomplete pass with 4.4 seconds remaining on the clock set up the field goal try from the 17-yards line. Freshman kicker, Thorny Walker, who came into the game just 12-of-20 on extra-point tries, had been perfect all night and had shown plenty of leg on all his kicks, so he was more than capable of making the try. The snap was perfect and Walker’s kick was true to put the Patriots ahead 38-35.
Though time had expired after the kick, the officials put two seconds back on the clock, but the Cougars would not be able to respond and one of the best high school games ever ended.
Grayson County (4-2) will travel to Bowling Green on Thursday to take on the Purples (6-0), ranked second in 5A in the state. That game is set to start at 7 p.m.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
