LYNN — Kyle Durant isn’t one to shy away from big moments.
The Lynn Classical senior, who already had pressure thrust upon him in the first quarter of Thursday’s Turkey Day matchup against English when starting quarterback Brian Vaughan went down with an ankle injury, ended the game not with his arm, but with his foot. Durant kicked a six-yard field goal in double overtime to give the Rams a 17-14 thriller of a victory.
“I wasn’t nervous,” said Durant. “I was ready for it. I was asking for it.”
Classical was looking good in the second overtime. The Rams got the ball last, meaning any score would do. They had a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line when a penalty — one of 18 overall in the game — for delay of game put them back on the six.
“After the penalty, especially, I was asking to kick one,” Durant said, fully cognizant he’s only made one other field goal in his career. Since both teams had exhausted their timeouts, there was no way for English to call one to make Durant think about it even more. So, the snap came, the ball put down, and the kick went fluttering up toward the goal posts, clearing them with feet to spare.
This game belonged to Durant and the defense. Twice in overtime, the Classical defense stuffed an English offense that featured quarterback Jesse Maggs and a fleet of receivers.
“Our defense was lights out,” said Classical coach Brian Vaughan. “(Defensive coordinator) Joe Ford did some real good things to outsmart them, and our guys stepped up really big.”
The key moment in the two overtimes, other than the field goal, came on English’s first play of the initial overtime, when Maggs was on the receiving end of a halfback option throw that connected for what would have been a touchdown. However, it was called back due to an illegal formation penalty.
“I don’t want to say anything,” said English coach Mackenzie Charles. “You can’t leave it in their (referees) hands. Classical played a good game, and they made the plays they had to make.”
Classical drew first blood on its first possession, taking. up more than half the first quarter to do it. Everything was working perfectly for the Rams. Vaughan and Marquese Avery were moving up the field, and Avery, who finished with 150 yards on 31 carries in regulation, ran it in from the one-yard-line to make it 6-0.
‘This is the biggest game of the year,” said Avery afterward.. “I’m exhausted, but this is the biggest game we’ll ever play.”
English’s Wesley Chandler (50 yards, 12 carries) bullied his way in from the three to even the score in the second quarter and the sides went into the locker rooms tied 8-8, as both teams made their conversions.
The second half began with English driving toward another score. but with the Bulldogs on the Classical 23 and with a second-down play, Maggs went back to pass. However, freshman Emil Bruno stepped in front of an English receiver, made an off-balance interception, and ran it all the way back to the Bulldog 40.
“That was a big play,” said Vaughan. “It set us up for our next touchdown.”
That it did. Classical immediately went to work, with Avery taking the ball for all seven plays of the drive, the last one being a one-yard run.
The two drives took the entire third quarter, meaning that Classical had to hold on for 2 more minutes, and that the Bulldogs hads 12 minutes to get something going. Ernie Panias made sure English did. The bruising back took a handoff from the Classical 38 and seemed to be stopped cold after about five yards. All of a sudden, he broke through the scrum and bolted straight up the middle, for the score. Since neither team got its conversion on the second set of touchdowns, it was 14-14 with about three minutes left in regulation.
The Bulldogs had one more opportunity to score in regulation when, with a minute and a half left, Edwin Castro stretched out to snag a 37-yard pass from Maggs to give English a first down on its own 41.
But Classical stopped the drive, and when the punt was muffed by English, Classical got momentary life with 44 seconds left. But time ran out shortly thereafter, signalling overtime.
In overtime, Classical went first, with the extra advantage of starting from the five because of an English penalty on the last play of regulation. Still, the Rams went nowhere. Nor did English, especially after the penalty negated the touchdown. On English’s second possession, Castro rushed the ball once, and then Maggs threw three incompletions.
Afterward, Charles lauded Maggs.
Jesse has grown so much,” said Charles. “His leadership has been invaluable. He’s a super student. I’m proud to have coached him.”
Maggs finished up the day at 8-for-16 for 116 yards.
English and Classical both finished the season with 5-5 records.
