KC drops dounle OT thriller to TJC
2009-10-10 / Sports
Rangers still winless in conference play
By MITCH LUCAS
sports@kilgorenewsherald.com
sports@kilgorenewsherald.com
Kilgore College came so close to its first Southwest Junior College Football Conference victory of the season on Saturday night, only to be denied by the Tyler Junior College Apaches.
TJC quarterback Vincent McNeil broke free for a 25-yard touchdown to finally end a double-overtime thriller, 40-37, here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium at about 10:45 p.m. Saturday. It was the second win of the season for TJC over the Rangers (1-4 overall), and KC is kept winless in the conference with the defeat. The Rangers are now 0-3 with three games remaining: at Athens against Trinity Valley this Saturday (a 5 p.m. kickoff), at home against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Oct. 24, and at Cisco Oct. 31.
Here's how things break down: the top four teams in the conference make the playoffs, then face each other in a single-elimination tournament. To have a shot at being one of those four teams, the Rangers now have to win out, and even then, they may need some help.
McNeil's overtime heroics weren't limited to just the game-winner. He had scored the first points of the overtime period on a 20-yard run that gave TJC a touchdown lead, 34-27.
KC came right back and tied the Apaches again. Corrigan-Camden tight end Chase Ford caught a 9-yard pass from Hans Cook for the score, and after David Bailey's point after, the contest went to the second overtime session.
This time, the Apache defense held, at least somewhat. On a fourth down play, KC coach J.J. Eckert elected to go for the end zone. Cook found Jordan Scroggins for what appeared to be the go-ahead score, but the Rangers were flagged for illegal motion, and moved back 5 yards. Eckert sent out Bailey, who did put KC in front on the scoreboard, but by just a field goal, 37-34.
McNeil ended the contest on the TJC first down play, breaking free downfield after lining up in a shotgun formation.
The Rangers had things going their way for a lot of the game, including the opening quarter. The first KC drive was a thing of football beauty: almost eight minutes, 11 plays, 93 yards, and ending with the touchdown, a 2-yard run by Liquor Lockhart. Bailey's extra point made it 7-0 KC with 7:10 left in the first.
TJC would knot it up at 7-all on a 6-yard pass from McNeil to his running back, Don Brown, with 10 minutes left in the half. Jorge Martinez's extra point tied the score.
But the Rangers would go on to have a big second quarter. Cook would score on a 1-yard run to give KC the 14-7 lead, and then the Rangers got a break. On TJC's next possession, which ended with a punt, the snap flew over Martinez's head, and then a personal foul on top of that set the Ranges up at the TJC 5-yard-line. Lockhart would score on a 4-yard run and gave the Rangers a two-touchdown lead, 21-7, with 58 seconds left.
Incredibly, both teams would each score again before halftime.
KC tried to catch TJC off guard with an onside kick, but the Apaches did recover it, and in KC territory (the 43). The Apaches got a big 35-yard run from Chris Walker, and then Walker would score with nine seconds left on a fourth-down play from a yard out. Martinez's point after was blocked, but TJC had pulled within eight, 21-13.
But the Rangers would have another opportunity, thanks to a good kick return by Calvin Stoker, and then another TJC personal foul. KC faked a field goal, picked up 23 yards on the play, and then on the next play, TJC was called for defensive holding. The time had expired, but the half can't end on a defensive penalty, so the Rangers trotted out Bailey for a 39-yard field goal. He connected, and with no time left on the clock, to boot. KC led 24-13 at the break.
The Rangers would get no points, though, in the third quarter, with turnovers costing them, and TJC would take a 27-24 lead.
Bailey came through in the clutch once more, kicking a 32-yard field goal with the majority of the fourth quarter to play (14:55), that tied the game at 27. Neither team managed to score in what was left of the fourth quarter, and then the overtime period began, with the game ending, of course, on the feet of McNeil.
McNeil finished 18-of-25 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for three touchdowns (the two in overtime, and he also had one in the third quarter).
For KC, Cook was impressive, rushing for 124 yards and the touchdown, and passing for 180 yards and another TD. Ford, who caught the scoring pass in overtime that helped KC send it to OT No. 2, finished with six catches for 111 yards.
TJC quarterback Vincent McNeil broke free for a 25-yard touchdown to finally end a double-overtime thriller, 40-37, here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium at about 10:45 p.m. Saturday. It was the second win of the season for TJC over the Rangers (1-4 overall), and KC is kept winless in the conference with the defeat. The Rangers are now 0-3 with three games remaining: at Athens against Trinity Valley this Saturday (a 5 p.m. kickoff), at home against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Oct. 24, and at Cisco Oct. 31.
Here's how things break down: the top four teams in the conference make the playoffs, then face each other in a single-elimination tournament. To have a shot at being one of those four teams, the Rangers now have to win out, and even then, they may need some help.
McNeil's overtime heroics weren't limited to just the game-winner. He had scored the first points of the overtime period on a 20-yard run that gave TJC a touchdown lead, 34-27.
KC came right back and tied the Apaches again. Corrigan-Camden tight end Chase Ford caught a 9-yard pass from Hans Cook for the score, and after David Bailey's point after, the contest went to the second overtime session.
This time, the Apache defense held, at least somewhat. On a fourth down play, KC coach J.J. Eckert elected to go for the end zone. Cook found Jordan Scroggins for what appeared to be the go-ahead score, but the Rangers were flagged for illegal motion, and moved back 5 yards. Eckert sent out Bailey, who did put KC in front on the scoreboard, but by just a field goal, 37-34.
McNeil ended the contest on the TJC first down play, breaking free downfield after lining up in a shotgun formation.
The Rangers had things going their way for a lot of the game, including the opening quarter. The first KC drive was a thing of football beauty: almost eight minutes, 11 plays, 93 yards, and ending with the touchdown, a 2-yard run by Liquor Lockhart. Bailey's extra point made it 7-0 KC with 7:10 left in the first.
TJC would knot it up at 7-all on a 6-yard pass from McNeil to his running back, Don Brown, with 10 minutes left in the half. Jorge Martinez's extra point tied the score.
But the Rangers would go on to have a big second quarter. Cook would score on a 1-yard run to give KC the 14-7 lead, and then the Rangers got a break. On TJC's next possession, which ended with a punt, the snap flew over Martinez's head, and then a personal foul on top of that set the Ranges up at the TJC 5-yard-line. Lockhart would score on a 4-yard run and gave the Rangers a two-touchdown lead, 21-7, with 58 seconds left.
Incredibly, both teams would each score again before halftime.
KC tried to catch TJC off guard with an onside kick, but the Apaches did recover it, and in KC territory (the 43). The Apaches got a big 35-yard run from Chris Walker, and then Walker would score with nine seconds left on a fourth-down play from a yard out. Martinez's point after was blocked, but TJC had pulled within eight, 21-13.
But the Rangers would have another opportunity, thanks to a good kick return by Calvin Stoker, and then another TJC personal foul. KC faked a field goal, picked up 23 yards on the play, and then on the next play, TJC was called for defensive holding. The time had expired, but the half can't end on a defensive penalty, so the Rangers trotted out Bailey for a 39-yard field goal. He connected, and with no time left on the clock, to boot. KC led 24-13 at the break.
The Rangers would get no points, though, in the third quarter, with turnovers costing them, and TJC would take a 27-24 lead.
Bailey came through in the clutch once more, kicking a 32-yard field goal with the majority of the fourth quarter to play (14:55), that tied the game at 27. Neither team managed to score in what was left of the fourth quarter, and then the overtime period began, with the game ending, of course, on the feet of McNeil.
McNeil finished 18-of-25 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for three touchdowns (the two in overtime, and he also had one in the third quarter).
For KC, Cook was impressive, rushing for 124 yards and the touchdown, and passing for 180 yards and another TD. Ford, who caught the scoring pass in overtime that helped KC send it to OT No. 2, finished with six catches for 111 yards.
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