In the first half, the Vicksburg Gators passed up an easy field goal try to go for a touchdown.

It didn’t work.

In the final minute of the fourth quarter, they tried for another touchdown instead of working the ball down the field for a potential game-winning field goal.

That didn’t work.

Finally, in overtime, they lined up to kick.

That didn’t work either.

After a long slugfest with Grenada that included a valiant comeback from 14 points down, the earlier decisions and one bad play were all it took to derail Vicksburg’s chances at victory. Greg Hayden’s missed extra point at the end of the second overtime left the score at 42-41 in favor of Grenada and sent the Gators off the field stunned.

Afterward, Vicksburg coach Marcus Rogers gave an impassioned defense of his kicker. Hayden had made 21 consecutive PATs before the miss, and is 45-of-50 on them this season.

“It ain’t a blame thing. Without Greg Hayden, we’re nowhere near the program we are right now. We just need to pick him up, because when it comes down to it we’re going to need him again,” Rogers said. “If I would have earlier kicked a couple of field goals when we got down there, we might not have been in that situation. That kid is the most talented kid we’ve got on the field. He punts, he kicks off, he kicks field goals. He can directional kick, whatever we need to do. We’re going to pick him up and love on him because he’s family, and we’re going to get right for next week.”

Vicksburg (8-3, 4-2 Region 2-5A) had already clinched a playoff berth, but Friday’s loss cost it a chance to host a first-round game. Vicksburg now trails Grenada (8-2, 5-1) and Germantown (7-3, 5-1) with only one game to play, and would lose head-to-head tiebreakers with both of them.

The Gators will go on the road to Holmes County Central (5-5, 3-3) next week, and can sew up the No. 3 seed in Region 2-5A with a victory.

“I’m very confident in the game next week. This was the big game. We blew it. But we’re going to make up for it next week and come back hard,” said Vicksburg quarterback Joe Johnson, who completed 25 of 36 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

All of Johnson’s touchdowns went to senior wide receiver Raheam Moore, who caught 11 passes for 96 yards.

Hayden’s missed PAT sealed Vicksburg’s loss, but the seeds of defeat were planted much earlier. The Gators failed to score on three trips inside the red zone. On one of those, they fumbled and Grenada’s Trey Washington returned it 84 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Earlier drives stalled out at the 18- and 6-yard lines.

“I was going to get three then, but we had the fumble. That hurt us. That was a big fumble right after the half,” Rogers said.

The Gators rallied back after Washington’s scoop and score, however. Johnson ran for a 3-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, and then wide receiver James Allen threw a 35-yard TD pass to Cardell Spencer off a reverse to tie it at 21.

After Grenada went back in front on a 17-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jared Barnes to tight end Will Baker, Johnson threw a 7-yard TD pass to Moore with 2:50 left in regulation to tie it again, at 28.

“It’s just the heart everybody on this team has, that we can always come back, and that’s the heart we showed the whole game. I’m proud of all my teammates, win or lose,” Johnson said.

Vicksburg got the ball back with 1:18 left and drove inside Grenada territory, hoping to give the strong-legged Hayden a chance to win it. Instead, on second-and-5 from the Grenada 36, Johnson threw a deep pass to Allen down the right sideline. Grenada’s Christian Cain wrestled away a jump ball for an interception that sent the game to overtime.

“We just tried to make a play at the last minute. Our guy had to make a play, and the other guy made a play,” Johnson said.

Each team scored on its first overtime possession, and then on the first play of the second extra period Deon House ran it in from 10 yards out. Easton Curry’s PAT gave the Chargers a 42-35 lead.
House finished with 73 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

Vicksburg answered with a 10-yard TD run by Mike Sims, and then lined up for the PAT. Hayden pushed it wide right to end the game.

“He just pushed it right,” Rogers said.