In could be said the Apalachee High School football team likes overtime games.
The Wildcats won their third overtime game of 2009 Friday night rallying to defeat visiting Marist 36-35. Fullback Christian Hoard crashed through the War Eagle line on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime for the winning points. It would be the only time in the game AHS held a lead.
“Games like this can be fun if you win,” Wildcat head coach Shane Davis said. “It can get pretty stressful for the coaches though.”
John Ansley’s 11-yard touchdown run and Guy Hunt’s extra-point kick tied the game at 28 in the fourth quarter. Hunt would attempt a 45-yard field with 1:51 remaining but the try was just short.
Marist took over with 1:44 still left in the fourth, but an interception by Quintavis Cofield ended the scoring threat.
In overtime, AHS won the toss and chose defense first. Marist scored on three plays as the short possession was capped by a 7-yard touchdown run on fourth and two. The War Eagles took a 35-28 lead after kicking the extra point.
Apalachee then needed just three plays to score. Christian Hoard ran it all three times scoring from the 4-yard line. The Wildcat coaches then elected to go for the win and Hoard delivered again with the winning points.
A wild celebration erupted from the AHS sideline while a stunned Marist team actually didn’t move for several seconds after the game was over.
“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had,” Wildcat Reggie Battle said. “I’ve never felt this great. It’s hard to explain.”
Quarterback Mike Norman liked the call to go for two and to give it to his big fullback Hoard.
“They hadn’t stopped Christian all night,” Norman said. “The coaches called it and we were able to do it.”
Hoard finished the night with 113 bruising yards on 20 attempts. Marist didn’t have an answer for Hoard, whose upper and lower body strength played to his advantage.
The victory was by no means an easy one for the host Wildcats.
Marist scored on the first possession of the game on a 32-yard quarterback keeper. The War Eagles moved in front 14-0 on a 7-yard run with 6:57 left in the first half.
It was time for AHS to respond and Davis’ team did just that.
Going on a 12-play, 80-yard drive, the Wildcats got back in the contest when Hoard crashed in from a yard out with 27 seconds left before halftime.
The momentum of that drive carried over to the start of the third quarter when AHS got the football first and would tie the game after another 80-yard drive capped on a touchdown by Hoard at the 8:24 mark of the quarter.
