Wildcats win double-OT thriller in opener

by Jason Stone

SurpriseLights.com

Aug. 31, 2007

Willow Canyon football coach Michael Hudnutt knew his team had some talent before the season started. Now he knows they have character too.

The Wildcats won their second-consecutive season-opener in thrilling fashion Friday night as they held off a LaJoya rally and won 27-24 in double-overtime. A massive offensive line push on third down in double OT, allowed quarterback Trey Clarida to sneak in from the 4 and allow the Wildcats to sneak away with the heart-stopping victory.

“All my teammates have heart and I knew we could do this,” senior Chris Robinson said after the game. “We’ve been practicing and working so hard all offseason. All we were focused on was LaJoya.”

The Wildcats looked like they were going to make easy work of LaJoya early in the game, but the Lobos made a game of it in the second half and nearly sent Willow Canyon home unhappy when all it needed to do was make an extra point in the first overtime.

But Willow Canyon blocked the kick and forced a second overtime. After LaJoya kicked a field goal to start the second overtime, the Wildcats needed a score and got it with Clarida’s sneak.

“I had a feeling this game was going to go this way,” Hudnutt said. “I told our lineman that they were going to win or lose the game. I’m proud of everybody involved. It’s just great excitement.”

Willow Canyon looked like a seasoned team, not a third-year program, on its first drive of the year. The Wildcats kept the ball for 19 plays and methodically moved the ball down the field while gaining five first downs along the way.

But LaJoya, which proved to be a tough opponent all night long, stopped Willow Canyon on fourth down at the 3.

With the poor field position, however, Willow Canyon was able to turn it into points when the Wildcats brought a blitz and sacked LaJoya quarterback Kevin Johnson for a safety and the first points of the season.

B.J. Scott, who was slowed in the second half with an ankle injury, returned the free kick to LaJoya territory. After a penalty set the Wildcats back, Robinson burned the LaJoya defense for a 52 yard touchdown down the right sideline.

“The route was a skinny post,” Robinson said. “I just got by the corner and the safety.”

Willow Canyon missed the extra point to leave the game at 8-0. Both teams had multiple drives into the other’s territory but they ended in turnovers. Robinson, who had an all-around effort, intercepted one pass in the endzone, but LaJoya returned the favor when a Willow Canyon drive near the end of the half ended when a tipped pass was intercepted.

LaJoya made it a brand new game to start the second half when Jeremiah Cornist showed his big-play ability by taking the opening kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown to cut Willow Canyon’s lead to one.

Willow Canyon answered immediately, however, as they drove the length of the field in two minutes, ending in a short touchdown pass from Clarida to KC Simmons to put the Cats up 15-7.

LaJoya’s next drive featured a called back touchdown run because of an illegal shift. The Lobos were held on downs when Eugene Salsberry sacked Johnson on fourth and goal from the 7.

LaJoya fumbled on its next two possessions, but Willow Canyon couldn’t capitalize on either, which allowed the Lobos to stay in the game.

The Wildcats then made a mistake that LaJoya turned into points to force overtime. With Willow Canyon trying to run the clock out with under five minutes to go, LaJoya’s Mark Escobedo intercepted a pass to give the Lobos one more shot.

Starting at the 21, Cornist busted up the middle for 17 yards for a score to make it 15-13. The Lobos converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game.

Willow Canyon couldn’t move the ball and was forced to punt with 3:09 left on the clock. LaJoya then blocked the punt to put itself in position to win after trailing all night.

But Willow Canyon’s defense, which made the plays when it had to, sacked Johnson on fourth down with eight seconds left, forcing overtime.

“(Overtime) is exactly like I thought this game was going to be,” LaJoya coach Mike Waters said. “We are similar schools at similar stages in our programs.”

In the first overtime, Willow Canyon scored first on a Clarida to Justin Jones pass, but a bobbled snap on the extra point left the score at 21-15.

Needing a touchdown and conversion to win, LaJoya got the touchdown on a 7-yard touchdown pass, but Willow Canyon blocked the extra point to dramatically send the game into a second OT.

“If we’re going to win a championship, it’s going to be because of our defense,” Hudnutt said. “They really stepped it up tonight. I think once I look at the (game tape) and really look at it, we’ll see that a lot of guys came to play football tonight.”