By Jon Moffett

jmoffett@vindy.com

Youngstown

Five yards made all the difference in the outcome of the City Series game between East and Chaney on Saturday.

The game came down to a critical two-point conversion try for Chaney in the final minute. But the Cowboys were flagged for a false start. They penalty moved them back from the 3-yard line to the 8-yard line, and the ensuing attempt was no good.

The failed conversion gave the Panthers a 22-20 victory at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Panthers (3-6) led 22-14 with a little more than seven minutes left when Chaney got the ball for its final possession.

The Cowboys (1-8) drove down to the East 1-yard line before junior quarterback Robert Thompkins plowed in for the score. Coach Jim Vivo called a play, but a lineman flinched and forced the offense to back up. Thompkins kept the ball on the ensuing play and scrambled toward the goal line, but was stopped short.

East coach Brian Shaner said it was a fitting end to another hard-fought grudge match.

“What a city game. That’s how they’re supposed to be played,” he said. “That was a hard-fought game on both sides, and it’s nice to see a game like that on a Saturday afternoon.”

Chaney led after a rushing touchdown by George Leflore midway through the second quarter. A missed extra point put them up six. But East answered back with a 9-yard run by tailback Devonta Fleetion.

East converted the two-point conversion when Michael Thomas ran the ball past the defense. East would have the lead for the rest of the game.

The Cowboys trailed by 10 in the third quarter, but rallied to within two points to open the final quarter.

It seemed as if momentum was on Chaney’s side late. The Cowboys managed to force the Panthers into a three-and-out on the next possession. But after a bad snap on the punt attempt, two Cowboys smashed into the punter just after he was able to get the ball off.

The Panthers were given a first down on the penalty. Two plays later, senior tailback Leon Edwards scored on a 62-yard run.

“Really, I was just trying to focus on getting the touchdown,” Edwards said.

While the long touchdown run cooled the comeback, the missed try put the game on ice.

Vivo knows all about the City Series. A graduate of Chaney, Vivo was on the All-City football team in 1985 as a quarterback. He said it was hard to watch the tying try.

“We were going to try and run a little shovel pass before the false start, but after that we tried to run a play that worked pretty well during the game,” Vivo said. “But East is well-coached, and I’m sure they knew it was coming.”

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the last game of the season doesn’t get any easier. They’ll travel to Howland to play the undefeated Tigers, who have shut out their opponents five times.

No matter how the game goes, Vivo said he is proud of his team and knows they’ll fight until the end.

“We care about them, we support them and we love them,” he said. “Win or lose, and they know that.”

Shaner and the Panthers will play Akron Ellet at Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren in week 10. Shaner said neither side should be disappointed with their seasons.

“Both schools have played a tough, tough schedule,” he said. “In our eyes, our schedule is second to none in the entire state. Our kids show up each and every week ready to play. They don’t care who they are playing.”