There is a saying in the movie business that goes like this: “They wouldn’t make a movie about this game. No one would believe the ending.’’
Well, believe it, sports fans.
The Gautier Gators’ 37-35 home victory over the Brookhaven Panthers on Friday night for the Class 5A South State high school football championship is most definitely movie worthy.
The Gators survived two missed 21-yard field goals with one second and then with 0:00 showing on the scoreboard clock to punch their ticket to the Class 5A state championship game. The Gators will play for their first state title next Friday at 7:30 p.m. when they face West Point on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
Gautier coach Marc High couldn’t explain how Brookhaven was allowed a second attempt after the first try came up woefully short. He said he didn’t get a clear response from the officials, either.
“I was told it was a hot clock, then said it wasn’t,’’ High said as he accepted congratulations. “They stopped the game. I don’t know why. I went and asked (the officials) and everything kind of went sideways from that. I can’t explain what happened.
“Our kids played to the last second. We’ve done this three weeks in a row now. We feel good. Our kids know how to play big games. The good Lord was with us. God is good. We can’t do this without Him.’’
This is the third straight playoff game the Gators have won in dramatic fashion. Last week, Gautier stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute to defeat Wayne County 28-27. The week before, the Gators scored in the final minute to beat Natchez 36-30.
The 2022 and 2023 high school football seasons ended in bitter disappointment for the Gators as they fell one game shy of playing for a state championship. Their mission all season was to make it to Hattiesburg, and they will do just that against a West Point team that defeated Cleveland Central 14-7.
“We have been waiting for this for a long time,’’ High said. “I’m so glad we were able to bring our fans and school something.’’
The Gators (12-1) left the door open for a Brookhaven comeback by missing an extra point that would have given them a 38-35 lead late in the fourth quarter and then fumbling as they were trying to run out the clock with 1:59 remaining and the ball on the Brookhaven 20.
The fumble occurred when spectacular quarterback Trey Irving and Kanien Rush mishandled a handoff on second-and-9 at the Brookhaven 16. Derwin Fields recovered for Brookhaven and the Panthers had 1:59 left and one timeout to traverse 80 yards to win the game.
“We got an all-state quarterback and all-state receiver, put in their hands,’’ High said. “They said they just made a bad handoff. They said let’s just keep doing what we’ve been doing.’’
Brookhaven kept the drive alive by converting a fourth-and-10 from its 20 with 1:47 left on a pass from quarterback Jaden Allen to Eddie Ratliff.
The Panthers continued to move the ball and Allen scampered for 16 yards, then completed four straight passes to get the ball to the Gautier 29 with 38 seconds remaining.
An incomplete pass stopped the clock with 32 seconds showing.
On second down, Allen found a leaping Dreamus Harron at the 4 as the clock ticked down.
The Brookhaven point after team hurriedly came on the field and for some reason the clock was stopped with one second left. Issac Lies’ attempt didn’t even reach the crossbar, and the Gators ran off the field thinking they were victors.
“Not so fast my friends,’’ as Lee Corso says each Saturday on ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
The officials, with 0:00 showing on the scoreboard clock, had a long discussion, then came over to the Gautier sideline to speak to High. The Gautier coaches in the press box could be heard screaming, “The game is over. The game is over.’’ But it wasn’t.
Brookhaven, which had never left the field, lined up to attempt the kick again. This time, the boot sailed wide right. The game was finally over and Gautier could celebrate a second time. This time for real.
While the rest of the game wasn’t quite as exciting as the final two minutes, there still was some exciting action as the lead changed hands seven times.
The biggest lead was by Gautier at 17-7 midway the second quarter. But Brookhaven made it 17-14 at the half on a 51-yard scoring strike from Allen to Timmothy Smith.
Gautier’s first-half scores came on a 28-yard field goal by Eric Robinson, a 33-yard pass from Irving to Kanien Rush and a 23-yard run by Latrell Pogue on a pitchout.
Brookhaven’s other first-half TD was scored by Eddie Ratliff on a 9-yard run.
Caiden Quarles gave Brookhaven the lead back at 21-17 with a 15-yard TD run 55 seconds into the second half after Gautier’s Kasin Thomas fumbled the kickoff.
The lead didn’t last long as Gautier went back on top 24-21 on Pogue’s 23-yard sprint.
Brookhaven regained the lead at 28-24 on a 3-yard run by big package back Zacarias Richardson after a blocked Gautier punt.
Gautier got some luck to score its next TD for a 31-28 lead. Irving hit Devon Garrett from 6 yards out, but a vicious hit at the goal line knocked the ball loose and Sabo Gonzalez recovered the pigskin in the end zone for the TD.
Once again, the lead swapped as Allen threw a perfect strike to Smith on a slant from 14 yards out with 10:36 left in the game.
Gautier ate up five minutes of the clock to regain the lead for the last time at 37-35 on a perfect slant pass from Irving to Rush. Robinson, who had hit four PATs, had his attempt blocked after a high snap from center.
The missed PAT and the fumbled Gautier handoff followed, setting the stage for the crazy finish that definitely could be made into a “Friday Night Lights” sequel.
