Charleston stuns rival Ozark with wild lateral play
CHARLESTON 20, OZARK 19
CHARLESTON — To Greg Kendrick it was a perfect storm of events that gave Charleston a victory on the game’s final play.
Kaleb Fisher went the last 8 yards of a four-lateral, 38yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to lift the Tigers to a 20-19 victory over Franklin County rival Ozark Friday at Alumni Field.
“We’ve practice that play every week since I have been head coach [in 2013],” Kendrick said. “We’ve never had to use it and the kids executed it tonight. That is a SportsCenter play. I am at a loss for words.”
With four seconds left and facing a fourth and 4 at the Hillbilly 38, quarterback Brayden Caudle hit Mason Keener who went 23 yards to the 15 before lateraling to Geoffrey Scott at the right sideline, who then lateralled to Caudle at the Ozark 20. Caudle then lateraled to Keener on the left hashmark, ran inside the 10 before lateraling to Fisher who beat a defender to the end zone.
“We practiced this in Thursday’s practice,” Fisher said. “Brayden made a great throw to Mason [across the field] and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”
“We have a lot of moving part [on the play],” Kendrick said. “If we can’t score on one side, then [Caudle] throws it to the other side to set up a screen. You never really think it’s gonna work until it does.”
The play would never had happened however, if the Tigers defense does not have a goal line stand with 1:55 left. The Hillbillies had a firstand-goal at the Charleston 5, but could not score in four plays.
The Tigers marched 98 yards in 12 plays in the final 1:55.
“It was a perfect storm,” Kendrick said. “They struggled in the kicking game so they went for the touchdown. Our defense came up big. They were the real players of the game. To hold Ozark to 19 points, our defense deserves a lot of praise.
The Hillbillies had taken a 19-14 lead with 7:26 left in the third quarter when Tyler Sanders scored on a 43-yard run. Sanders finished with 170 yards on 23 carries.
Caudle completed 23 of 41 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown.
Charleston led 14-13 at halftime.
After a scoreless first quarter, the big-play offense from both teams finally got on track in the second quarter.
Brayden Caudle hit Shane Turner for a 63-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the quarter for a 7-0 Tiger lead.
Ozark struck back with a 5-yard pass from Dawson Dietz to Bryant Burns to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:23 left in the first half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Geoffrey Scott caught the ball on the right sideline and sprinted 79 yards for a touchdown for a 14-7 Charleston lead.
The Tigers defense forced a turnover at the Hillbilly 21. Charleston went backwards in three plays and a 53-yard field goal was missed as the kick went out of bounds at the Ozark 10.
Two plays later, Dietz hit Burns on a short pass and he outran the defenders for a 90yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the half. The PAT was blocked leaving the Tigers ahead 14-13.