CONWAY — The West needed just one more opportunity, and Clay Patrick provided it Friday night.
The former Springdale High standout scooped up a late fumble to end an East scoring threat, then Lucas Reed of El Dorado hit Vincent Love of Hope on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left to give the West a 16-13 victory in the 58th annual Arkansas High School All-Star Football Game at UCA’s Estes Stadium.
“That’s one of the great things about football,” said West head coach Tony Travis of Pea Ridge. “You just never know. That’s just like our defense — we told them they’re not in until they’re in.
“The defense came up with a big play; the offense never quit all the way down.”
The East led 13-9 and appeared ready to put the game away when it had first-and-goal at the West 2. A bad snap led to an incomplete pass on first down. Then two running plays only picked up half the yardage, forcing a fourth-and-goal from a yard out.
That’s when Patrick, who was named the game’s outstanding defensive lineman, rose to the occasion. The East had another bad snap, and he was there to pick up the loose ball and return it to the West 11 with 3 minutes, 18 seconds on the clock.
“The line just did a heck of a job,” Patrick said. “They split the line, and I just ran right through. The ball was down on the ground, and I happened to be at the right place at the right time.
“I picked it up and went as far as I could. It was pretty clear to get to the ball. It’s the second time I’ve done that in my career, so I knew what to do. At the same time, I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
Reed hit Walter Ashley of Pine Bluff on two occasions to keep the drive going, then connected with Malachi McGee of Mena for 28 yards to the East 21 with slightly more than a minute left to play. Two straight running plays resulted in no yardage, then Reed fired deep to his left to hit Love in the end zone for the score before Nick DeLeon of Pea Ridge added the extra point.
The East then took the ensuing kickoff and used three pass plays to move from its 26 to the West 35 with one second remaining, but Lane Campbell of Jonesboro-Westside was short and wide left on his 52-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
DeLeon gave the West its first points when he connected on a 40-yard field goal with 25 seconds left in the first quarter, cutting the East lead to 6-3. The West then moved in front when Reed and Love connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds before halftime, two plays after Zach Garrett of Magnet Cove had intercepted an East pass.
The East also capitalized on a fourth-down turnover to regain the lead after Gerald Watson recovered a fumble on its 23. Ten plays later, Rashaad Earls of Little Rock Parkview bulled in from 2 yards out, and Campbell’s PAT kick gave the East a 13-9 lead with 2:07 left in the third quarter.
Patrick led the West defense with 11 tackles, including three for 15 yards in loss, and a pass breakup. Dayton Winn of Pea Ridge and Forrest Johnson of Rogers Heritage were next in line with seven apiece.
East 6 0 7 0 — 13 West 3 6 0 7 — 16
FIRST QUARTER
EAST — Duncan 27 pass from Stowers (kick fail), 4:53 WEST — FG DeLeon 40, :25
SECOND QUARTER
WEST — McGee 24 pass from Reed (kick fail), :12
THIRD QUARTER
EAST — Earls 2 run (Campbell kick), 2:07
FOURTH QUARTER
WEST — Love 21 pass from Reed (DeLeon kick), :27