Wellborn falls to Glencoe in OT
- Updated: September 5, 2015
Wild game ends with Panthers’ overtime PAT attempt being intercepted
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Jeff Smith sat glumly in a corner of a quickly emptying dressing room, his coaches sitting just as forlornly on benches in front of him.
All losses are hard to take, but this one Friday night was particularly cruel.
Wellborn lost its region opener to Glencoe 28-27 in overtime on The Hill in a game that was as intense as any playoff game. The Yellow Jackets secured the victory when they intercepted a pass following a bad snap on the Panthers’ game-tying PAT.
“The hardest thing as a coach is to come down here and walk around and see the kids after they gave everything they got and it end up being a losing effort,” Smith said. “They played with such heart, fighting and scratching and doing everything they could to try to win. It’s just upsetting to see them come out on the short end of the stick.
“I thought their effort was tremendous. That’s why it’s so upsetting to see them losing.”
Glencoe scored first in overtime on Chase Wilson’s 8-yard pass to Pace Ozmint and PAT. Wellborn matched it with D.J. Rhoden’s 2-yard run, but the snap on its extra point attempt was low.
Quarterback and holder Austin McQueen tried valiantly to salvage a play, rolling to his right and looking for a receiver, but his pass was intercepted by Jordan Morris, touching off a wild celebration on the Glencoe sideline.
Morris, a senior with limited quality minutes, was inserted into the game after Austin Bush got hurt. Morris had gotten beaten on a touchdown earlier, but came through later.
“I didn’t know what to do; I just wanted to run,” he said. “I just went out and did what I was coached to do. I’m just so crazy right now.”
The game was interrupted for more than 90 minutes after the stadium lights lost power due to a blown transformer on the visitor’s sideline.
The game was tied at 21 with about 5:30 left in the third quarter when the lights went out. EMS staffers on site said they treated one minor injury during the blackout, which did not affect the press box, concession stands, scoreboard or surrounding neighborhood.
For their part, the Yellow Jackets tried to keep things as close to normal as possible during the delay and reminded their players as such.
“With us going to seven periods, we get to the field house at 2:10, we work out ‘til about 3:45 and we go out on the field and we condition and our kids are gassed by 4:15, then we go in and dress and go to practice,” Glencoe coach Lee Ozmint said. “We’re in the end zone stretching and I was like ‘we’re at practice.’ We’ve been here two hours, we’ve lifted, we’ve done our conditioning, now we’re going to practice. You could see the light come on.”
When the stadium lights came on, three banks fired up, but the one on Glencoe’s side of the parking lot end zone stayed dark. The teams played through it.
That was the end zone where the Yellow Jackets’ Austin Bush lost a fumble going in for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:49 left in regulation. JaMyron Curry recovered the fumble.
“It just seemed everything went wrong,” Ozmint said. “We’d get inside the 10 twice, we’d get inside the red zone, and couldn’t come away with points, but they found a way. They found a way to win.
“When things go wrong they keep plugging and keep doing the ordinary things. Even though we make mistakes we keep doing what we do and it pays off.”
Both teams had opportunities to win the game late in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers took the break and drove the length of the field only to see Jordan Montgomery’s 24-yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds left sail wide right.
Montgomery sealed last week’s Wellborn win over Saks with an end zone interception and he had one Friday negated by a pass interference penalty that extended the drive where Bush fumbled.
Montgomery was one of the last Wellborn players to leave the locker room. He walked over and gave Smith an emotional hug before disappearing into the cruel night.
GLENCOE 28, WELLBORN 27
Glencoe 7 14 0 0 7 — 28
Wellborn 0 14 7 0 6 — 27
G – Dalton Roberts 56 interception return (Andrew Lang kick), 4:40 1Q
W – D.J. Rhoden 12 run (Jordan Montgomery kick), 11:30 2Q
G – Austin Bush 12 run (Lang kick), 9:10 2Q
W – Montgomery 9 pass from Austin McQueen (Montgomery kick), 2:50 2Q
G – Roberts 13 pass from Chase Wilson (Lang kick), 0:29 2Q
W – Montgomery 5 run (Montgomery kick), 9:15 2Q
G – Pace Ozmint 8 pass from Wilson (Lang kick), OT
W – Rhoden 2 run (pass failed), OT
Category Glen Well
First downs 14 21
Rushes-yrds 38-192 60-300
C-A-I 5-11-1 4-7-1
Passing yds 52 79
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Punts-avg 1-55.0 1-30.0
Penalties-yds 6-36 5-65
RUSHING: Glencoe—Chase Wilson 12-87, Austin Bush 19-76, Cade Alred 7-29; Wellborn—D.J. Rhoden 22-131, Jordan Montgomery 16-81, Pat Harris 16-76, Austin McQueen 5-10, Jake Thrasher 1-2.
PASSING: Glencoe—Wilson 5-11-1-52; Wellborn—McQueen 4-7-1-79.
RECEIVING: Glencoe—Dalton Roberts 2-34, Pace Ozmint 2-12, Bush 1-6; Wellborn—Montgomery 2-37, Rhoden 1-28, Kevin Screws 1-14.
LEADING TACKLERS: Glencoe—Ozmint 22, Bradley Scott 13, Bush 12, Zack Cowley 11, Hauk 10; Wellborn—Thrasher 11, JaMyron Curry 7, Montgomery 6, Kedrick Harris 6, Kane Pitts 6, Rhoden 6.
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