For the second straight week, Dunlap’s darlings of the dramatic used late-game heroics to earn a hard-fought win, with Sequatchie County defeating visiting Marion County 13-10 on a last-second field goal Friday night.
In a game where second-half momentum swung back and fourth with big defensive plays — neither team had scored in the final two quarters after a 10-10 tie at halftime — it was Will Machado’s 39-yard field goal as time expired that ultimately lifted TSSAA Class 3A’s seventh-ranked Indians (4-1) to the upset over 2A’s second-ranked Warriors (4-1).
Last week, the Indians stuffed a 2-point conversion attempt by 1A’s South Pittsburg with less than a minute remaining to hold on for a one-point win in another battle of state-ranked Sequatchie Valley foes.
This time, the Indians’ Machado accounted for the game’s first points — a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter — and the winning kick that began with just two seconds remaining. That capped a 73-yard drive that began after Sequatchie had stopped the Warriors’ potential go-ahead scoring drive by forcing a fumble at its 5-yard line. The Warriors also were held on downs midway through the fourth quarter after driving inside the Sequatchie 20.
The Indians converted two third downs to move the ball into scoring position for their fourth win in the past seven series meetings with Marion.