Trinity rallies in fourth quarter to stun Eagles
Published 1:35 am Saturday, September 13, 2014
With 7 1/2 minutes left in Friday’s game, Porters Chapel Academy had a 12-point lead, all the momentum in the world, and a clear path to the playoffs.
By the time the clock hit triple zeroes, it was all gone.
Trinity overcame its deficit by scoring three touchdowns in the last seven minutes — the last a 3-yard run by Cade Wells — to stun the Eagles 32-25.
“Missed tackles. They threw a little short pass and took it all the way because of missed tackles. We didn’t get them on the ground,” PCA coach Wayne Lynch said. “We had an opportunity to win the game. We had it in our grasp and came up a little bit short. We just have to regroup and get ready for Wilkinson County.”
The outcome likely clinched a playoff berth for Trinity in District 4-A, which only contains three teams, while PCA must beat Wilkinson Christian next week in its final district game of the season to earn an automatic berth.
PCA quarterback Zac Morgan was 9-of-22 passing for 130 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for two scores. Logan Pickering added 68 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Wells ran for three touchdowns for Trinity, but it was quarterback Kevontaye Caston that lit up the Eagles.
Caston completed 14 of 29 passes for 231 yards and one touchdown, and added 100 yards and another score on the ground. That performance was enough to overcome eight fumbles, four of which were lost, and five turnovers by the Saints (2-2, 1-0).
The missteps by Trinity included two lost fumbles inside PCA’s 10-yard line, which allowed the Eagles to gain the upper hand.
Pickering scored on a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter. After a muffed punt gave PCA the ball at the Trinity 25, Morgan scored on a 1-yard sneak to put the Eagles ahead 25-13 with 7:32 left in the game.
Then the bottom fell out for PCA.
A long kickoff return set up Caston’s 30-yard TD pass to Tommy McCoy just 30 seconds later.
PCA’s next possession was brought to a grinding halt by a series of penalties. Trinity got the ball back, drove 50 yards in nine plays, and tied the game on Wells’ 4-yard run with 4:25 left.
PCA’s Michael Croisdale blocked the extra point to keep it tied, but the Eagles didn’t swing the momentum back in their direction. A fourth-and-2 play from their own 40-yard line resulted in a fumbled handoff, and Trinity took over at the 36.
“We had it wide open on the left side. We knew we were going to get the first down, and we just didn’t get the handoff. It’s just a bad break,” Lynch said.
Trinity, which had 10 plays of 10 yards or more in the second half, quickly moved inside PCA’s 5-yard line. On third-and-goal, Wells took a handoff on a jet sweep, cut around the right end and dove inside the pylon for the go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds left.