With 35 seconds left in the game, the Baylor defense had to make one stop on the 4-yard line to ensure that the team’s seniors would play one more game at home.
The Red Raiders forced an incomplete pass by Father Ryan quarterback D.C. Tabscott on fourth down to secure the 21-16 victory at home on senior day. The win was Baylor’s second in Division II-AAA and guarantees it a home playoff game.
“It was great to see us pull together as a unit at the end of the game,” Baylor coach Phil Massey coach. “I’m so proud of our defense and our coaches for that goal-line stop.”
The back-and-forth affair began with an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive by the home team. With 5:43 left in the first quarter, Gabriel Stulce rumbled into the end zone from 22 yards out.
In the second quarter a Red Raiders fumble led to a 25-yard field goal by the visitors’ Zach Wesnofske. Father Ryan (2-7, 0-5) then went ahead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Antonio Wright. A 61-yard scamper by Seamus O’Connell set up that score.
On the next possession, Baylor (4-5, 2-3) got a big play of its own when senior quarterback Lorenzo Wright blew by defenders on a 79-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter Father Ryan capitalized on another Baylor fumble, this time scoring on a 4-yard pass from Tabscott to O’Connell.
After a Tabscott interception in the fourth, Baylor embarked on a 13-play drive that was capped by a 17-yard Stulce touchdown run on fourth-and-2. Stulce finished the game with 102 yards rushing on 22 attempts.
Down five points with 3:05 left in the game, Father Ryan blocked a punt to take over at Baylor’s 40-yard line. The Irish strung together three straight complete passes to bring the ball to the 7-yard line. With 35 seconds left Baylor forced four consecutive incomplete passes and survived a pass-interference penalty to clinch the victory.
Next week Baylor travels to Montgomery Bell Academy for the last regular-season game of the year.
Contact Dan Kopf at sports@timesfreepress.com.