Chaney, Poland contest boils down to last minute

The Cowboys won, 27-23, despite losing their starting QB to injury.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
POLAND -- Terrell Tomlin's 1-yard run with 26 seconds remaining gave Chaney High a 27-23 victory over Poland Friday night.
Down by nine points with just under nine minutes to play, Chaney (3-2) quarterback Victor Toney, who replaced injured starter Antwan Rice at the end of the third quarter, scored on a 3-yard run, capping a three-play, 23-yard drive that pulled the Cowboys to within 23-21.
After holding the Bulldogs to three-and-out on their ensuing series, the Cowboys then got the ball back on their own 24-yard line with 2:18 remaining.
A Toney to Kory Jackson 38-yard completion on the first play of the drive placed the ball at the Bulldog 38, and two first downs later, the ball found its way to the Bulldog 7-yard line.
When Tomlin and Toney gained 4 and 2 yards, respectively, the Cowboys had two opportunities left to score from the 1-yard line.
They needed just one try for Tomlin to penetrate the Bulldog end zone, but the conversion pass failed, and Chaney had to settle for a 27-23 advantage.
Poland managed just three incomplete passes in the final 23 seconds as they fell to 2-4.
Cowboys' strategy
"I have never been more proud of a group of kids than I am of this group here tonight," Cowboy coach Ron Berdis said. "I told our team at halftime that we gave them their two scores in the first half, and if we expected to win this game, then we would have to work harder defensively the last two quarters. [Rashad] Mathews recovered two fumbles, and our defense did just that as they came up with several big stops.
"Rice had mid-back pain, and his extremities were good, but he was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures. Toney has been steady for us at wide receiver and in the Canfield game came in to play quarterback and gave us a spark. He handled the pressure really well tonight."
Chaney used a 14-play drive at the outset of the game, Tomlin scoring the first of his three touchdowns in the contest from 1 yard out as the Cowboys took a 7-0 lead after one quarter.
Scoring specifics
Poland then used a 13-play drive of their own as Chris Lovell hit Dom Schneider from 8 yards out, pulling the Bulldogs even at 7.
Tomlin's 5-yard scamper at 4:55 of the second quarter increased the Cowboys' lead to 14-7, but Lovell, who threw three scoring strikes, found Charlie Carchedi from 61 yards out as they pulled even at 14 at halftime.
"This was an awesome high school football game," said first-year Bulldogs coach Mark Brungard. "Three turnovers hurt us, and Chaney was very opportunistic with our miscues. Give Coach Berdis and his staff credit because their kids never quit. I just feel sick for our kids because they played their hearts out as well."
When Chaney was called for holding in the end zone just 1:07 into the third quarter, Poland took a 16-14 lead, and after receiving the free kick, Lovell hit Brandon Beachum with a 57-yard scoring strike for a 23-14 Bulldog advantage.
Lovell completed 11-of-15 passes for a game-high 242 yards for the Bulldogs, while Toney was 2-of-6 for 60 yards through the air in his relief role for the Cowboys.
Jackson caught six passes for 87 yards for the Cowboys while Carchedi had six catches for the Bulldogs for a game-best 126 yards.