STEENS — The tide was already turning Friday in favor of the Immanuel Christian football team, but one play sealed the deal in its Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A, District 3 matchup against Hebron Christian.
The situation looked bleak just a few snaps earlier. Hebron Christian”s Jae Shaw had rumbled 64 yards for a touchdown to stretch the Eagles” lead to 22-14. Immanuel Christian took the ball on its 25-yard-line and committed a penalty to get pushed back 5 yards. The second attempt at a first down play yielded worse results, with Hebron Christian bulldozing Immanuel Christian”s offensive line for a 9-yard loss.
Then the play happened.
“We”ve worked on it a lot and had some success with it, but it really hit the button when we needed it tonight,” Immanuel Christian coach Shawn Gates said.
Rams junior quarterback Ross Moore dropped back and pitched the ball to junior running back Michael Tate, as he already had done 14 times in the game. This time, instead of taking off, Tate uncorked a high, slow, downfield pass that seemed to hang forever until it fell into the hands of senior Wesley Lake, who picked up a few yards after the catch for a 56-yard gain.
The play was unlikely for a number of reasons. First, Lake was surrounded by defenders and the ball wasn”t hard to track. Second, it was Immanuel Christian”s first pass attempt of the game.
“We had it read. We”ve worked all week to read that,” Hebron Christian coach Greg Watkins said. “I guess our safety and cornerback thought the halfback was tackled because they just froze, and when they did it let the guy get behind them. We were in position to begin with.”
The pass led to the tying touchdown for Immanuel Christian, and the Rams used the momentum from the score to go on to a 35-22 victory.
The district win puts the Rams (4-5, 1-1 district) in a position to make the playoffs if it can defeat Central Holmes next week at home.
Friday”s game started off with a bang. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter, with Hebron Christian gaining the early edge.
Shaw (133 rushing yards) scored his first touchdown on a 6-yard run with eight minutes remaining. He also had the two point conversion.
Immanuel Christian answered with a 90-yard drive, capped by Tate”s 3-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run.
The Eagles fired back with a 60-yard drive. Marquez Robinson did the honors with a 5-yard touchdown run. Chad Smith hit Will Corbin Rogers for the two-pointer.
Hebron Christian threatened to stretch its lead in the second quarter, driving to Immanuel Christian”s 21. But Immanuel Christian”s Jacob Rhodes snatched a lazy pass from Smith and returned 17 yards.
Hebron Christian became its worst enemy in the second half, blowing multiple opportunities to take control.
When the Rams drove to the Eagles” 12 to begin the third quarter, the Eagles” defense stiffened for a goal-line stand, turning the Rams away on a fourth-and-two from the 4.
But Hebron Christian fumbled the ball on the next play, setting up an easy 1-yard touchdown run for Immanuel Christian junior Norris Harris.
In the fourth quarter, following Shaw”s long touchdown run and Immanuel Christian”s subsequent halfback pass, the Eagles turned the ball over on downs and then surrendered a 68-yard touchdown run to Norris that gave Immanuel Christian the lead.
Tate owned the game from that point, scoring on a 9-yard run to put Immanuel Christian up by two touchdowns. He also intercepted two Smith passes.
“He”s been having a really good game,” Gates said. “He had a lot of tackles. He has three picks this year now. He”s stepped up and been a good player.”
Watkins admitted his team played a big part in facilitating Tate”s good game, allowing him to rack up 188 rushing yards and allowing Harris to rush for 149.
“Our tackling was awful. Too many arm tackles. It was probably one of the worst tackling performances we”ve done all year,” Watkins said.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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