Jubilation for Kingston fans turned to heartbreak in less than a minute Friday night as the Redskins dropped a 27-21 thriller to Marlow in the Class 2A-1 state quarterfinals.
A packed house at Bulldog Henry Stadium Friday night definitely got its money’s worth in the toe-to-toe battle of Top 10 squads that saw a multitude of momentum swings throughout. Unfortunately, the final swing went the way of the Outlaws on a 42-yard throwback touchdown pass with just 35 seconds remaining to break a 21-all deadlock.
Kingston had one final opportunity, advancing into Marlow territory on a pass interference penalty with no time remaining but the Outlaws intercepted a desperation heave on the final play to squelch the Redskins.
“It was a really, really good high school football game,” Kingston head coach Brad Hill said afterward. “Marlow was in the semifinals in 3A last year and we knew it would be tough. It went down to the last possession. We played hard enough to win, and the kids played their tails off. We just came up a little short.”
The Redskins dominated possession throughout the first half but had little to show for it until late.
They turned the ball over on downs in Marlow territory in the opening quarter and threw an interception in the end zone to thwart another scoring threat with 9:19 left in the first half.
Marlow also missed an opportunity to get on the board, dropping a wide open pass that would have likely gone for six with 5:44 remaining in the second stanza.
After dodging that bullet, Kingston took over deep in its territory and utilized a mixture of Reid Patterson and Cash Walker runs to carry into the Marlow end. Hudson Everhart bolted 18 yards for the biggest play beforetheysettledforaJaime Lewis 38-yard field goal with 59 seconds left to break the scoreless deadlock.
The Redskins weren’t finished though as Everhart immediately picked off a Marlow pass and returned it 25 yards with 36 seconds remaining.
Aidedbya15-yardOutlaw penalty, Kingston covered 40 yards in rapid fashion as Patterson bolted the final 17 yards to paydirt and a 10-0 halftime advantage.
Marlow grabbed the momentum on its side in the third frame, capitalizing on a short field after a shanked punt as they punched in a 33-yard touchdown pass just past the midway point of the quarter.
The Outlaws got it right back moments later, intercepting a deflected pass at the Kingston 20. They cashed that turnover in for a five-yard scoring toss with 51 seconds left in the quarter to go in front 14-10.
Undeterred, the Redskins got the ball back at their 17 and marched the length of the field with a methodical drive but had to settle for a Lewis 25-yard field goal that trimmed the margin to 14-13 with 7:03 to play.
Marlow had the answer once again, capping another scoring drive with a 45-yard touchdown pass to go in front 21-13 at the 3:32 mark.
Kingston responded in kind after taking over at its own 26 with Eli Oliger igniting the march with a 21-yard reception. Patterson then hit Parks Ratzlaff for 11 yards into Outlaw territory.
A Marlow fourth down penalty kept the drive alive and Patterson found Cash Walker for a nifty 22-yard touchdown pass on the very next play. Ty Jones then grabbed a two-point conversion toss from Patterson to knot the score with just 1:21 left in the fourth to send the Kingston faithful into a frenzy.
It was a short celebration however with Marlow covering 64 yards in just three plays for the game’s deciding score.
“We played a great first half,” Hill said. “Our defense played lights out. We moved the ball but just weren’t able to punch it in a couple of times. We didn’t capitalize when we were down there, but they missed a couple of chances as well.
“We knew they were a second half team and they came out swinging. We had a great drive to tie it up at the end and got the two-point conversion but couldn’t hold them off in the last minute. I’m proud of our coaches, kids and our fans. They were phenomenal. You’ve just got to tip your cap to Marlow.”