It was simply a horrible time to get a penalty. Needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to force a second overtime in their game with the Hopkins Central Storm Friday night in Elkton, the Todd Central Rebels got the touchdown they needed on a two-yard pass from Gavyn Nolan to Nate Reding.
However, in the ensuing celebration, the Rebels were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which would force the Rebels to go for the tying two-point conversion from the 18-yard line instead of the 3-yard line. Hopkins Central then broke up the attempted pass from Nolan to Preston Moore as the Storm picked up a wild 54-52 win over the Rebels.
The penalty was the second costly mistake for Todd County Central in the final moments of the contest. Leading 46-38 late in the fourth quarter, after having stopped the Storm twice on downs, the Rebels had the ball, driving down the field and chewing up the clock, when Omarion Riddick lost his grip on the ball and Hopkins Central recovered on their own 34 with 2:27 to go in the game.
Hopkins Central quarterback Adrian Stringer promptly drove the Storm down the field and scored on a two-yard run with just 47.8-seconds to go. Hopkins Central scored the two-point conversion to tie the game up at 46-46.
The Storm nearly lost the game on a big mistake of their own on the ensuing kickoff. Todd Central, in an effort to preserve time and field position, called for a fair catch on the kickoff. Hopkins Central defenders made the contact with the Rebel player attempting to field the ball and were flagged for a personal foul, giving Todd Central the ball near midfield. However, the Rebels were not able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and get a late-game touchdown, and the two teams headed for overtime.
Hopkins Central scored on the first play of their possession when Jordan Jackson ripped off a ten yard run, setting up the heartbreaking finish for the Rebels.
The finish capped off what had been a game filled with big plays, big performances, and wild momentum swings.
Each team began the night by scoring on its opening possession. Hopkins Central found the end zone on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Stringer to Logan Rodgers to go up 6-0. The Rebels returned the favor the first time they had the ball as Omarion Riddick scored from four yards out to give Todd Central a 7-6 lead.
Hopkins Central came back and drove the ball right down the field and scored when Adrian Stringer found Christian Stringer from 15 yards. With the two-point conversion, the Storm led 14-7.
After the kickoff went out of bounds and gave Todd Central the ball at the 35-yard line, the Rebels struck quickly. On the very next play, Gavyn Nolan hit Nate Reding on a slant that turned into a 65-yard touchdown that tied the game at 14-14.
The fireworks kept on coming on the next Storm possession. Adrian Stringer again led Hopkins Central down the field and threw his third touchdown of the first half, this one a 17-yarder to Chase Brasher to put the Storm back on top 22-14.
Hopkins Central appeared to firmly grab the momentum late in the second half when Stringer threw another touchdown pass, this one for 81-yards to Logan Rodgers, as the Storm took a 30-14 lead with 3:16 to go in the half. But the offensive show of the first half was not quite done. Stringer would finish the first half with 273 yards passing and four touchdowns. For the game, Stringer had 462 yards passing and five touchdowns, and one rushing score.
Todd County marched quickly down the field and found the end zone when Gavyn Nolan threw a 26-yard touchdown strike to Keanu Galima to cut the lead to 30-22 with under two minutes left in the half.
That momentum carried over into the second half for the Rebels. On the opening possession of the half, the Rebels drove the field and scored on a 26 yard run from Gavyn Nolan to tie the game at 30-30.
Todd Central then got a great chance to get to the lead when they sacked Stringer, causing a fumble that the Rebels recovered at the Storm 4-yard line. Two plays later, lineman Chase Wells lined up in the backfield and scored on a one-yard plunge to put the Rebels up 38-30. In addition to his touchdown run, Wells would end up with three big-time sacks of Stringer in the second half of play.
A Mikey Everett interception appeared to put the Rebels in a position to distance themselves from the Storm. But, Todd Central fumbled the ball back on the very next play. This time the Storm converted when Stringer scored on a one-yard run to tie the game at 38-38.
While Hopkins Central is the “Storm”, lightning struck next for the Rebels. Keanu Galima took the ensuing kickoff 65 yards back to the house and put the Rebels back up 46-38. Setting up the furious finishing coming down the stretch of the game.
The Rebels drop to 2-2 with the loss. They open district play next week when they host McLean County.
