ABERDEEN — Long-time friends who played together at Delta State and then coached together following graduation, Aberdeen High School”s Chris Duncan and West Bolivar”s Henry Johnson would have been happy to settle for a 22-22 tie in regulation.
But players on both teams weren”t happy with the 48-minute standoff, so they overruled their coaches and voted to take it into overtime, where West Bolivar prevailed 28-22 in what had to be one of the state”s marquee matchups between The Clarion-Ledger”s preseason No. 1 ranked 2A team and Aberdeen, the paper”s top-rated 3A squad.
“Both of us would have been happy to leave it at 22-22,” said Johnson, who has led the Eagles to an 86-14 (86 percent) record in the past seven-plus years. “Our friendship goes back to our playing days at DSU and a tie would have been OK with both of us. But the kids on both teams wanted to break the tie and we were fortunate to come out with a win.
Johnson, who was a star on the old Rosedale team coached by the legendary Leland Young that lost a 14-12 heartbreaker to the Dwayne Chandler-led Aberdeen Bulldogs in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs in 1990, switched offensive philosophies this past week.
“We are primarily a running team, but our game plan was to throw the ball against Aberdeen,” said Johnson, whose Eagles entered the game averaging 260.3 yards on the ground. “We switched because I couldn”t see us running up against a steel wall all night.”
The Eagles, who attempted just 25 passes in its previous four games this season, threw caution to the wind as Johnson called no less than 32 pass plays — two of which went for touchdowns.
Duncan countered with a surprise of his own — a three-quarterback system that produced the Bulldogs best offensive showing of the season.
“Our offense played a whole lot better tonight,” Duncan said. “We moved the ball up and down the field all night and it was by far our best offensive game of the year.”
Game plan changes aside, execution was the deciding factor in the six-point win as West Bolivar”s junior quarterback Kylan Johnson”s 9-yard toss to Jovious Wade set up Kailo Moore”s 1-yard touchdown plunge on the Eagles” second play in overtime.
Moore”s two-point run attempt was stacked up by Channing Ward and a host of Bulldog defenders, however, leaving the door open for a tying touchdown and an extra point from Aberdeen for the possible win.
But the Bulldogs were hit with a 5-yard illegal substitution penalty on their first play from scrimmage and then a pair of 2-yard runs and an incomplete pass left Aberdeen facing a fourth-and-11.
Following a timeout, Ward worked his way open in the end zone from his tight end position, but quarterback Josh Williams couldn”t make the connection.
“Josh is going to make that play down the road,” said Duncan of his 14-year old freshman quarterback, “and I wouldn”t hesitate to call that play over and over again.”
Aberdeen wasted a 16-7 advantage midway through the third quarter, as the Eagles took a 22-16 lead with a pair of touchdowns late in the third quarter and early in the fourth period.
A 1-yard plunge by Moore and a Demarrion Haynes PAT kick propelled West Bolivar to its first lead of the game (16-14) with 3 minutes, 50 seconds left in the third quarter and then a double pass from Johnson to Wade to Deandre Cooper on a fourth-and-5 from the 23 gave the Eagles a 22-16 cushion on the first play of the fourth period.
Undaunted, Aberdeen tied the game with 49 seconds to play in the fourth period when Williams found a wide open Aaron McMillian on a 33-yard scoring toss, but Eagle defender Shaquon Conway batted down Williams” potential game-winning 2-pt. pass at the goal line to send the contest into overtime.
Aberdeen”s Sammy Burroughs, making his first appearance at quarterback this season, scored the game”s first touchdown on the Dogs” second play from scrimmage on a play which covered 64 yards. Williams” conversion pass to Braxton Anderson gave the Bulldogs a quick 8-0 lead.
But Johnson cut the Dogs” lead to two points on the Eagles” second possession with a 19-yard scoring strike to Cooper and then Haynes added the point after kick to close the gap to 8-7.
Jalen Bell”s fumble recovery prevented a possible West Bolivar score in the third quarter and set up a 28-yard TD pass from Williams to McMillian followed by a two-point conversion pass to Ward to extend the Bulldogs” lead to 16-7 with 5:53 left in the third quarter.
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