[10/4/03]LAKE PROVIDENCE Earlier this week, Porters Chapel Academy concluded its special teams drills in practice by kicking a 30-yard field goal as the coaches counted down the final seconds.

On Friday night, the scenario played itself out. The dream didn’t come true, though.

Ryan Hoben missed a game-winning, 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play, and Briarfield escaped with a wild 30-29 victory over PCA.

“We haven’t been making them all year in a game. I made every one in warm ups. I guess I just wasn’t concentrating,” said Hoben, who was 5-of-11 passing for 62 yards and a touchdown, intercepted a pass on defense, and made a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter. “It’s unbelievable. I don’t even know what to say about it.”

Briarfield’s Blake Pierce ran for 83 yards most of it on a 63-yard, go-ahead touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Rebels also scored on a pair of trick plays a 69-yard halfback pass from Montellus Craft to Pierce just before halftime, and a 70-yard run by offensive lineman Jim Lensing on a fumble-rooskie in the fourth quarter.

Kenny Simms ran for 80 yards and a touchdown for PCA, and scored another TD on a 44-yard fumble recovery. As a team, PCA totaled 222 rushing yards.

Briarfield fumbled six times and committed three turnovers in the first half, but managed to head into the locker room tied at 16-16 when Craft took a pitch, rolled to his right, and lofted a long pass over two PCA defenders to Pierce.

Pierce hauled it in and ran into the end zone untouched to complete the 69-yard play with 2:25 to go in the half.

With just over seven minutes to play in the third quarter, Craft fielded a punt at his own 39 and ran toward the sideline. He was met by Simms, who locked up the returner and then took the ball. Before the Rebels could figure out what had happened, Simms was streaking down the sideline for a touchdown to put PCA ahead 23-16.

“As soon as I hit him, he put the ball in my chest. He gave it to me, so I figured I’d run it for a touchdown,” Simms said.

Briarfield struck back three plays later, however. Facing a third-and-10 at their own 30, the Rebels dug into their bag of tricks again.

Lensing snapped the ball to quarterback J.D. Kiefer, who quickly put the ball on the ground. As the Rebels faked the run to the right side, Lensing picked up the ball and a blocker and took off to the left. All of the PCA defenders pursued the fake, and Lensing rumbled 70 yards for the touchdown. E.J. Holden added the two-point conversion run to put Briarfield in front, 24-23.

PCA regained the lead on Hoben’s 32-yard TD pass to Gerald Mims with 10:41 to play in the fourth quarter, but made a decision that came back to haunt them.

On each of its touchdowns, Briarfield had gone for a two-point conversion. After the TD pass to Mims, however, PCA coach Bubba Mims decided to go for two points and a seven-point lead, rather than an extra point and a six-point lead. Hoben’s pass to Josh Gain was tipped incomplete, and the Eagles were left with a 29-24 lead.

On the next play from scrimmage, Pierce broke through the middle of the PCA defense for a 30-29 lead.

After an exchange of punts, PCA got the ball back at its own 42 with 5:05 to play. The Eagles marched down the field, but stalled at the 13-yard line. Then, Hoben’s kick on fourth down sailed wide.