By MIKE McLAIN

sports@vindy.com

LEAVITTSBURG

LaBrae Vikings coach John Armeni filled multiple roles Saturday night.

In addition to his coaching duties, Armeni was a soothsayer and a motivational speaker.

Armeni told kicker Kris Foor that he was going to kick the game-winning field goal after Foor was off target on a 27-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter. He then expressed faith in Foor, who also missed an extra-point kick and had another point-after attempt blocked.

With six seconds remaining, Foor split the uprights from the right hash mark on a 22-yard field goal to give the Vikings the tie-breaking points in a 29-26 win over the Wickliffe Blue Devils in a first-round game of the Division VI, Region 17 quarterfinal.

“I said, ‘I have faith in you. We’ll pull the trigger and I won’t hesitate, and you’re going to make it,’ ” Armeni said. “He smiled, and that’s exactly what he did. Sometimes what they need is a little pat on the butt and some confidence.”

The winning field goal was set up by the other star of the game, Vikings quarterback and defensive back Carlton Brown. Brown, who passed for 272 yards and rushed for 56 yards, made the defensive play of the night when he stripped the ball from running back Nick Fenton late in the fourth quarter. Brown fell on the fumble at the Devils’ 36.

LaBrae needed six plays to move to the Wickliffe 5. The key play was a 9-yard pass from Brown to Benton Tennant that moved the ball to the 8.

Facing a second-and-goal with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Armeni called on Foor. The snap and placement were good, making the kick easier to convert.

“My heart was racing,” Foor said. “I had to get ready and prepare myself for this next kick. I had to think how to make contact on the ball. I had to trust my holder and snapper. We’re a team. We’re family. You have to rely on everyone else to be a part of it.”

The kick ended an exciting fourth quarter that began with the teams tied at 20. Wickliffe broke the tie on a 23-yard scoring run by Isaac Pettway with 4:14 to play. The-point after kick by Jared Tennant was wide left.

Brown then led LaBrae on a 68-yard, six-play drive to tie the score at 26 at the 2:20 mark. Brown connected with Tariq Drake twice on the drive while rushing for 25 yards on the march, including the final 3 for a touchdown. Foor’s kick was blocked.

Brown stripped Fenton on the first play of the ensuing possession.

“We got challenged again,” Brown said. “We have to stop them and get the ball back. We made a good play stripping the ball. You see it, you have to react. You have to get to the ball as fast as you can.”

JT Wolke scored on a 25-yard drive on the game’s opening possession as the Vikings took a 7-0 lead. Wickliffe (8-3) assumed a 14-7 lead after one period on touchdown runs of 8 and 13 yards by Pettway.

Arjay Oliver ran 3 yards for a score in the second quarter as LaBrae tied the score, 14-14. The Vikings took a 20-14 halftime lead on a 6-yard run by Wolke.

Fenton scored on a 3-yard run in the third period to tie the score at 20.

Armeni challenged Brown to be a dominant force.

“At halftime coach challenged me to take over the game and be a leader,” Brown said. “I saw a couple of openings and took it and tried to do whatever I can to help us win. I told our line, ‘We’re not going to lose. We’re going to Week 2.’ ”

LaBrae (8-3) will play Garrettsville Garfield on Saturday.