By Avi Zaleon Published 8:47 pm, Tuesday, October 15, 2013
It was one of those games they’ll tell their kids about.
Three overtimes. A touchdown with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie. Another score on a 4th-and-9. Twenty-eight of the game’s 60 points occurring in overtime.
Port Neches-Groves’ 31-29 win against Central at the Reservation on Friday might get lost in the shuffle of legendary games over the years, but for those who were a part of it, the memories will live forever.
“I’ve never been in a game like that before in my life,” junior quarterback Ky Walker said. “We were talking about it the other day, 20 years from now, we’re still going to be talking about (the Central game).”
PN-G coach Brandon Faircloth has been in his fair share of exciting contests, but said last week’s game, “ranks toward the top, no doubt.”
Here’s how the two remember the most important moments:
Down by eight, Central’s offense put together a long drive that resulted in a game-tying score with 12 seconds left to force overtime.
“We’re not going to sit and pout and moan, we have to keep fighting,” Faircloth said. “That’s what football teaches us about life.
Things aren’t going to go your way sometimes and when they scored with 12 seconds left – that didn’t go our way.”
Indians kicker Dylan East had been spectacular all season, from both short and long range. In the first overtime, he walked onto the turf for a 24-yard field goal that could put the pressure on Central.
“We were all sitting on the sideline and then Dylan goes out there and we’re like, ‘he’s got it,'” Walker said. “But it’s football, things happen. We thought he made it and all started jumping up and down.”
But the attempt went just wide.
“My next thought was, how is Central’s kicker?” Walker said. “I started asking around on the sideline.”
Central would also miss its field goal attempt, bringing the game into a second overtime. To open the period, Central running back Damon Thomas found a seam to the outside and scored from 12 yards out to give Central its first lead of the game.
PN-G then got its turn on offense in the second overtime and found itself in a 4th-and-9 situation – 24 yards from a score that would force a third overtime.
“We were walking to the sideline and I hear coach say, ‘guys, do we have anything?'” said Walker, remembering the timeout preceding the crucial fourth-down. “I look to Brant (Halfin), who was standing next to me. He says, ‘I know exactly what’s coming, it’s going to be ‘throw back.’ And I knew it would be too. It would be a tough throw for me and a tough catch for him. I looked to Brant and I could tell he was getting nervous. Sure enough, coach comes to us and calls ‘throw back.'”
Faircloth said he would rather never be in a 4th-and-9 situation to begin with, but the play worked to perfection.
“The play was to Brant (Halfin),” Faircloth said. “It happened how we drew it up. We keep that play in our pocket for those type of situations.”
Walker can act out the play from memory. Halfin open in the end zone, his chest facing the ball, the ball hitting him in the numbers and then Halfin falling backwards with it in-hand.
“That pass was in the air for a year, I’m positive,” Walker said.
All of it almost never happened.
“(Central) tired to blitz an outside linebacker, which would have killed everything, but Reece (Wardlow) was smart enough to shift in and line up right across from the (Central defender),” Walker said.
In the third overtime, Walker found senior receiver Jeremiah Rose in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown. Central responded with a score of its own and a two-point conversion stood between a fourth overtime or PN-G victory.
With his receivers all covered, Central quarterback Michael Jacquet tried to sprint to the end zone, but came up about seven yards short.
“We had an idea of the play they were going to run,” Faircloth said. “(Michael) Hughes did a great job of getting off the block and making the play.”
