Spruce Mountain’s Zak Toothaker runs the ball down the field for the first Spruce Mountain touchdown of Friday night in Livermore Falls. Oak Hill’s Reid Cote follows from the left. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
LIVERMORE FALLS — Spruce Mountain quarterback Jack Bryant clutched the football like he was holding on to a winning lottery ticket during the last three minutes of a football game Friday night.
The Phoenix stopped the stubborn Oak Hill Raiders at the Spruce 17-yard line and found a away to burn off the remaining three minutes of the game to sneak off with a 27-25 victory on senior night at cold and windy Griffin Field.
Bryant was as stingy as they come and rushed the ball on a dozen occasions to move the Phoenix out of danger and take them to the 35-yard line as those precious three minutes disappeared to preserve Spruce’s victory over the Raiders, who didn’t know how to quit.
“They switched their offense and tried to chew up the clock a lot,” Byrant said. “We just put our guys on line and pushed the ball up and matched what they did. It was a big deal. The coaches emphasized two hands on the ball, didn’t want to give it up, and we found a way to move the ball.
“It was the seniors’ last game. It has been an awesome season playing with them.”
Spruce Mountain coach David Frey said that putting the Raiders on hold was really the key to the game.
“He (Stacen Doucette) had a great game plan,” Frey said. “I can see what he was trying to do to keep us off the field, offensively. The key was we stopped them on that last drive. That was huge, and just chewing up the clock and finishing it out. They are a good team and very well-coached.
“Like I said, this Class D South is just a great conference. You have to come to play every Friday night.”
With the score tied 13-13 at halftime and the Raiders gaining momentum after rallying from a 13-0 deficit in the first half, Phoenix running back Kayle Stewart made an unforgettable entrance on the first play of the second half.
Stewart got his hands on the ball at the Spruce 44 and bolted for a 56-yard touchdown. The conversion failed, but Spruce was up for the moment, 19-13.
“It felt good to be back,” Stewart said. “I haven’t had a good game like this in a while. It’s been like a year, and it is finally good to be back.
“They were tough. They shocked us. We weren’t expecting that. They are a helluva of a team. We held on and stuck together and we won.”
Oak Hill got the ball back and took the ball from the 43 all the way to the Spruce 6 thanks to a couple key passes from sophomore quarterback Gavin Rawstron. Fullback Reid Cote scored from there, but the kick failed and the score remained tied at 19-19 in the third quarter.
The Phoenix answered with another touchdown when Bryant reeled off a 21-yard pass to Zak Toothaker for a score. Senior fullback Tate Walton caught the conversion pass from Bryant to make it a 27-19 game.
But the Raiders scored again with 7.7 seconds left in the third quarter. Cote scored on a 3-yard rush, but Oak Hill’s conversion failed.
“I thought our kids showed great effort,” Doucette said. “I thought we had some good leadership during the game and the kids didn’t quit.
“I thought at times we ran the ball OK, and at times we threw the ball OK. We have to work on some defense this week and we go on to Lisbon.”
Oak Hill’s Gavin Rawstron intercepts a pass intended for Spruce Mountain’s Brandon Frey during Friday night’s football game in Livermore Falls. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Spruce Mountain’s Tate Walton, center, pushes towards the end zone during Friday night’s football game in Livermore Falls.(Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Spruce Mountain’s Kayle Stewart starts his take down of Oak Hill’s Caden Thompson during Friday night’s football game in Livermore Falls.(Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Oak Hill’s Caden Thompson is taken down by Spruce Mountain’s Brett Hunt during Friday night’s football game in Livermore Falls. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
Oak Hill’s Quentin Pelkey runs through Spruce Mountain’s defense during Friday night’s football game in Livermore Falls. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal)
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