By Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
With 35 seconds left on the clock, Grandview’s Nash Caudle tomahawked the ball out of Salado’s Seth Reavis hands as he was making his way across the goal line to break up what would have lifted Salado over the #4 Zebras, forcing a third down and 18.
Haire had just been sacked for an 8 yard loss the play before and the Eagles went to the air following a time out. Haire gave the Eagles new life by converting a fourth down and 1 to get the ball to the Zebra 20 yard line.Following the sack he rolled out of the pocket to hit Reavis in stride, but the Zebra defender made an incredible defensive play to stop the game-winning touchdown.
Salado was hit with a illegal forward pass, moving the ball back five yards and forcing a fourth down attempt that went incomplete with 10 seconds left, giving the Zebras a narrow 32-28 win over Salado.
Brycen Davis gave the Zebras their 32-28 lead on a 19 yard pass to Luke Kirkpatrick with 3:14 left in the game.
Salado trailed early in the game. The Zebras scored on their first possession on a 12 yard pass to Brandon Click from Ryder Hayes with 10:10 left in the first. The PAT failed.
Gavin Leftwich scored on a 4 yard run and Job Sanchez kicked the PAT for a 13-0 lead with 7:41 in the first.
Caden Strickland scored on a 21 yard run with 6:24, followed by Morgan Adams’ kick to trail 13-7.
Hayes hit Braeden Strevey for as 65 yard TD on the next series to give Grandview a 20-7 lead after the first quarter.
Salado closed the gap on a 7 yard touchdown pass from Haire to Reavis and a kick by Adams with 1:33 left in the second.
The Eagles took the second half kick off and scored on a 30 yard TD connection from Haire to Reavis. Adams converted the point after kick for Salado’s first lead of the game, 21-20 with 8:19 in the third.
The Eagles extended the lead on a 38 yard Hutton pass to Strickland. Adams kicked the PAT to put Salado up 28-20.
Grandview scored on a 40 yard Hayes pass to Kason English. The Zebras failed to convert the PAT and trailed. 28-26 going into the final quarter.