PARKERS CHAPEL – Parkers Chapel’s Caleb Jacobs zipped a 9-yard touchdown pass to Edison Thompson on fourth down and then ran for the two-point conversion Friday, lifting the Trojans to a thrilling 29-28 victory over Poyen in the first round of the 2A State Playoffs.
After the game, PC coach Elliot Jacobs didn’t have much voice left.
“It feels good. I’m excited,” he said. “I can’t even remember who we’re playing now. It don’t matter. I’m proud to be a Trojan. Great day to be a Trojan.”
The Trojans improved to 7-4 and will travel to Salem next week.
Trailing 28-21 with 1:58 left in the fourth quarter, Parkers Chapel took over at its own 44. Jacobs hit Lancer Clark for seven but then found Preston Stivender for 40 yards to the Indians’ 9.
The Trojans were flagged for holding and then had an incomplete pass. Jacobs ran for four yards to the 9. Another incompletion brought up fourth down. With the season on the line, Jacobs found his running back out of the backfield open in the end zone.
“We were trying to get a matchup with Preston Stivender. They could tell we were going to him,” explained Caleb Jacobs. “My running back, he told me before the play, he said, ‘Caleb, I’m going to act like I’m fixing to block this dude. I’m gonna go past him.’ I said, ‘Alright Ed, you better get ready for it.’ Look at that, Ed was wide open. When he caught the ball, it was an unbelievable moment.”
The touchdown cut the deficit to 28-27 with 56 seconds on the clock.
Rather than kick the game-tying extra point, the Trojans rolled the dice and went for the go-ahead two points.
“Their offense is designed for overtime,” said Coach Jacobs. “They were going to try to power it down our throat. I told my offensive coordinator, when we score, we’re going for two and I know what play I want. Well, Caleb did not run the play that I called. But, he made a play.
“I knew I didn’t want it to go into overtime. Let’s win or let’s go home.”
Jacobs took the shotgun snap and, with the play stacked on the right side, sprinted to his left. He outran one defender and got a key block from Tyler Killingsworth, who knocked the only other Poyen player out of the way. Jacobs danced into the end zone.
“We overloaded the right side. I was supposed to run it right,” said Caleb Jacobs. ”I saw Poyen’s left linebacker move in more to help with the overload. I knew as long as T.K. could get that block, I’m faster than their safety and that linebacker. It was guaranteed in my head.”
The Indians, despite being out of timeouts, provided a little bit more drama when they recovered a botched pooch kickoff at the 40. Jaxson Carter completed a 9-yard pass but a roughing the passer penalty moved the ball to the PC 36.
Poyen would move the ball to the 10-yard line on a 17-yard pass to Brandon Sanchez.
With time for one final play, Carter dropped back to pass but couldn’t find a receiver. The Trojans sacked him to end the game.
“Hat’s off to Poyen. That’s a well-coached team,” said Coach Jacobs. “Like I said before, they’re not a four seed. If they have all their kids healthy all year, we’re playing somebody else tonight. That’s a heck of a team. I told Coach Barrett, it sucks somebody has to lose that one. That was one of the best games I’ve been a part of.”
The Trojans won despite four turnovers, including two fumbles in the fourth quarter. Poyen churned out 369 yards rushing in the game.
“Watching them on film, they’ve had some turnovers. They didn’t do that tonight. I knew if they didn’t turn the ball over, it was going to be tough for us,” said Coach Jacobs. “Our defense had to make some key stops and they did. I can’t be more proud of those guys.
“The thing about this game, no break went our way. There were three or four plays that, nothing fell our way. We couldn’t get anything going. The kids fought. I told them at halftime, the goal in the playoffs is to score one more point than they do. I said offense, you score one more. Defense, give up one less. We did that. It’s survive and advance now. That’s all we’re worried about.”
Parkers Chapel scored first with a 50-yard drive in eight plays. Jacobs connected with Killingsworth for 19 yards to convert a third-and-10 before Thompson scored on a 5-yard run. Stivender added the PAT with 7:57 left in the first.
Poyen countered with a methodical, 10-play drive, capped by Josh Boyette’s 3-yard run on fourth-and-2. Lathan Aaron kicked the extra point with 3:38 left in the first.
The Trojans responded on the ensuing drive, going 65 yards in eight plays. Jacobs hooked up with Trace Shoup for 26 yards to convert a third-and-10. Caleb Jacobs would find the end zone on a 31-yard touchdown run. With Stivender’s kick, PC led 14-7 with 2:03 left in the first.
Poyen marched back down the field, driving 69 yards on seven consecutive running plays before Carter dropped back and found Blake Rhodes for a 21-yard TD pass. The PAT tied the game with 10:23 left in the second quarter.
The Trojans answered with a scoring drive of their own, going 66 yards in 11 plays. PC converted a fourth-and-4 with an option pitch to Thompson for 9. On second-and-goal, Jacobs scored on a 10-yard run, cutting back to his left and eluding three defenders on his way into the end zone. Stivender’s kick gave PC the 21-14 advantage with 6:12 left in the half.
The Trojans’ defense finally got a stop on fourth down but, two plays later, PC fumbled with Rhodes recovering at the 32. Poyen made the Trojans pay for that mistake when Carter scored on a 4-yard run with 1:42 left in the half. The PAT caromed off the left upright, leaving the score at 21-20 at the half.
The defenses arrived to the party in the second half with both teams making key stops. Poyen’s 15-play drive to start the third was stuffed when PC’s Tyler Martin sniffed out a screen play, making the tackle on fourth-and-12 at the 30.
The Indians, however, forced a three-and-out and, after a 52-yard punt by Stivender, took over at their own 13. But Colton Lowe erupted for a 46-yard gain on first down. Nine plays later, including a fourth down conversion, Poyen scored on Carter’s 3-yard run. The quarterback then ran for the conversion, giving the Indians a 28-21 lead with 10:34 left in the fourth.
Parkers Chapel’s defense had to step up after the Trojans fumbled the ball away on the first play of the ensuing possession. PC stopped the Indians on a fourth-and-3 at the 10.
The Trojans took over and quickly moved the ball. Clark had a 23-yard reception and Thompson ripped off a 25-yard run. Jacobs found Clark for 14 yards to the Poyen 10. But PC coughed the ball up on the next play.
Poyen took over at the 7 with 7:11 left on the clock. The Indians chewed up most of the time with a 10-play drive, converting third-and-5 and third-and-2 along the way. Finally, on third-and-12, Poyen attempted a pass. The Trojans got pressure on Carter, who threw up an incompletion, forcing a punt and setting up PC’s dramatic game-winning, season-extending touchdown drive.
After the game, Coach Jacobs said, despite the turnovers, his team never wavered.
“We’re big on core values in this program. Our last one states, we will not quit. The kids buy into that. It doesn’t matter the score, we are not going to quit,” he said. “I can’t be more proud of the guys than I feel, right now.”