By BOB ETTINGER

sports@vindy.com

HUBBARD

East receiver Darius Humbert knew the play that was called with the Golden Bears trailing in the waning seconds of a battle with Hubbard at Alumni Field on Friday night. He also knew there was a better way to get the job done. Humbert slipped behind an Eagle defender and made the catch on a pass delivered by quarterback Delshawn Petrosky to give East a 26-21 victory.

“I wasn’t even supposed to run that route,” Humbert said. “I saw it was open and I ran it. [Delshawn] threw me the ball and I caught it for the touchdown.”

The East win spoiled a perfect season for the Eagles and appears to have clinched a first-round home playoff game for the Golden Bears. The postseason pairings won’t be official until Sunday afternoon, but both East and Hubbard should host first-round games in Week 11 in Division IV, Region 13.

“I really liked the way we faced adversity,” Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman said. “We were down 20-7. We were able to battle back and take the lead. I told the kids, ‘They just made a couple more plays than we did in the end.’ I’m proud of their effort and we need to learn from it.”

The Golden Bears (7-3) led, 20-7, with just less than nine minutes to play in the second quarter, but fell behind, 21-20, with 2:29 remaining in the fourth following a 17-yard run from Davion Daniels with 8:15 left. After an East fumble, the Eagles (9-1) tied the score at 20 with 2:29 left after Daniels scored on a second effort after being stopped on his initial push.

“That shows how much heart he has,” Hoffman said. “He was stopped on the initial surge, but he saw a seam and was able to come off to the left and get in. What an effort.”

Anthony Corrin knocked the point-after through to put Hubbard in front, 21-20, for the first time.

“We talked about sticking together like we always do,” East coach Brian Marrow said. “I told the guys after they came off following the extra point that we were going to score and win the game. God is for everybody, but I think he showed us a little favor tonight. I give him praise, honor and glory. We knocked off two undefeated teams in that fashion.”

The Golden Bears drove 76 yards 2:20 to take the lead. Marquan Herron delivered the big play after taking a pass from Petrosky, making a Hubbard defender miss, and racing to the Eagles’ 9. Three plays later, Petrosky connected with Humbert for the win.

“Delshawn is just a gamer,” Marrow said. “He made something happen (on the game-winning pass). (Herron) made the two big plays in the first half before that final drive. He’s another one who’s been doing it all year.”

The Golden Bears took a 7-0 lead late in the first period after Petrosky hooked up with Herron for a 38-yard score. Just more than midway through the second, the pair connected for a 78-yard touchdown and a 14-0 East lead.

Rafael Morales scored on a 15-yard run to cut the deficit in half for the Eagles with 2:17 remaining in the half.

East pushed the lead to 13 points, 20-7, following a 64-yard scamper from Gei’vonni Washington on the Golden Bears’ opening possession of the second half.