CHARLESTON -- To Greg Kendrick it was a perfect storm of events that gave Charleston an amazing win on the game's final play.
Kaleb Fisher went the last 8 yards of a four-lateral, 38-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to lift the Tigers to a stunning 20-19 win over Franklin County rival Ozark Friday at Alumni Field.
Charleston 20, Ozark 19
Ozark 0 13 6 0 — 19
Charleston 0 14 0 6 — 20
Second Quarter
Charl – Turner 63 pass from Caudle (Taggart kick), 11:50.
Ozark – Burns 51 pass from Dietz (Timmerman kick), 9:23.
Charl – Scott 79 kickoff return (Taggart kick), 9:11.
Ozark – Burns 90 pass from Dietz (kick blocked), 7:00.
Third Quarter
Ozark – Sanders 43 run (run failed), 7:26.
Fourth Quarter
Charl – Fisher 8 run, :00.
"We've practiced that play every week since I have been head coach (in 2013)," Kendrick said. "We've never had to use it and the kids executed it tonight. That is a SportsCenter play. I am at a loss for words."
With 4 seconds left and facing a fourth-and-4 at the Hillbilly 38, quarterback Brayden Caudle hit Mason Keener who went 23 yards to the 15 before lateralling to Geoffrey Scott at the right sideline, who then lateralled to Caudle at the Ozark 20. Caudle then lateraled to Keener on the left hashmark, who ran inside the 10 before lateraling to Fisher who beat a defender to the end zone.
"We practiced this in Thursday's practice," Fisher said. "Brayden made a great throw to Mason (across the field) and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
"We have a lot of moving parts (on the play)," Kendrick said. "If we can't score on one side, then (Caudle) throws it to the other side to set up a screen. You never really think it's gonna work until it does."
The play would never have happened, however, if the Tigers' defense did not have a goal-line stand with 1 minute, 55 seconds left. The Hillbillies had a first-and-goal at the Charleston five, but could not score in four plays.
The Tigers marched 98 yards in 12 plays in the final 1:55.
"It was a perfect storm," Kendrick said. "They struggled in the kicking game so they went for the touchdown. Our defense came up big. They were the real players of the game. To hold Ozark to 19 points, our defense deserves a lot of praise.
The Hillbillies had taken a 19-14 lead with 7:26 left in the third period when Tyler Sanders scored on a 43-yard run. Sanders finished with 170 yards on 23 carries.
Caudle finished the game 23-of-41 for 272 yards and a touchdown.
Charleston led 14-13 at halftime.
After a scoreless first quarter, the big-play offense from both teams finally got on track in the second quarter.
Brayden Caudle hit Shane Turner for a 63-yard touchdown pass on the opening play of the quarter for a 7-0 Tiger lead.
Ozark struck back with a 5-yard bomb from Dawson Dietz to Bryant Burns to tie the game at 7-all with 9:23 left in the first half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Geoffrey Scott caught it on the right sideline and sprinted 79 yards for a touchdown for a 14-7 Charleston lead.
The Tigers defense forced a turnover at the Hillbilly 21. Charleston went backward in three plays and a 53-yard field goal was missed as the kick went out of bounds at the Ozark 10.
Two plays later, Dietz hit Burns on a short pass and he outran the defenders for a 90-yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the half. The PAT was blocked leaving the Tigers ahead 14-13.
Sports on 09/15/2018