With time winding down and a stadium full of frantic fans, one sophomore for Boyd-Buchanan was able to keep his cool. Luckily for the Buccaneers, he was the one they needed the most.
With less than five minutes remaining in the Region 3-2A matchup between the Bucs and Tyner, Boyd-Buchanan senior fullback Will Watkins and company marched nearly 80 yards downfield looking for the win. And they got it, 24-22.
After a fumbled snap on the 2-yard line and a negative rushing play, kicker Eli Terrell sprinted on the field and made his first game-winning field goal look effortless, giving the Bucs a hard-earned win.
"I was just getting ready on the sideline looking at it like it was an extra point, because it was so close," Terrell said. "I had faith in my offensive line to hold them off, and I was able to put it through for them."
"We practice two-minute every week," Boyd-Buchanan first-year head coach Carter Cardwell said. "Our kids were able to stay relaxed but still have the adrenaline pumping to finish off the drive. It was not a big deal for us to run on and kick the field goal."
Watkins, who rushed for 36 yards on seven carries on the final drive, had 81 yards on 18 carries for the game. Senior quarterback Ross Wortman was also a major contributor, rushing for two touchdowns with 47 yards through the air and 53 on the ground. Running back Jeremy Borders' stat line read 93 rushing yards on 14 carries.
The Rams, hobbled by injuries and some suspensions, came into Friday's night game playing with house money, and early on they were hitting the jackpot. Three Bucs turnovers were the major highlight of the first half, and Tyner led by two after a touchdown and a field goal.
"I'm happy with how we battled tonight despite the circumstance," said Tyner coach Wayne Turner. "At the end they rammed it down our throats, but we made them earn everything they got tonight and I'm good with that."
An inspired Bucs team came alive in the second half, and they didn't wait long to show it. Tyner starting quarterback Shaylan Bailey dropped back on the first play of the third quarter and threw a screen pass that ended up in the hands of Boyd-Buchanan's Michael Mincey, who walked in for the touchdown.
After the made two-point conversion, Wortman took control on the Bucs' first possession of the new half and punched it in from 15 yards out on an option keeper to end an eight-play scoring drive.
Bailey and the Rams showed their cool by concocting a three-play scoring drive right after the Bucs score, setting up an unbelievable 80-yard run cutting across the field by Ke'un Webb after reeling in a short pass. But just as the Rams did minutes before, the Bucs kept their wits and moved down the field for the game-winner.
"I think we're starting to get the hang of how to win a ballgame," Turner said of his Rams, who have lost three of four games. "We've got a lot of young guys getting time now because of injuries, and I really think they're improving. I just want us to keep moving in the right direction."
On 10-of-17 passing, Bailey racked up 160 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Rams. Webb caught six passes for 115 yards and a score.
Next week Boyd-Buchanan(4-0, 2-0 ) will put its unblemished record on the line at Marion County, while the Rams (1-3, 1-1) will dip out of region play to face Walker Valley on the road.
Contact John Mitchell at sports@timesfreepress.com