Rutland holds off Northeast in double-overtime
A single yard separated two winless teams Thursday at the Ed Defore Sports Complex. And the undermanned Northeast team that trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter nearly pulled off the miraculous comeback but fell in double-overtime to Rutland, 34-28.
After Rutland running back Ladarion Womack put the Hurricanes ahead by six on a 15-yard touchdown run in the second overtime, Northeast freshman quarterback Noland Ussery completed a 14-yard pass to JaRodney Sanders to the 1-yard line. And after Ussery fumbled the snap on a play that was blown dead, the Raiders’ coaching staff requested a new ball be put in play.
That request was granted, but Ussery fumbled the ensuing snap, and Rutland recovered to seal its first victory of the season.
“I knew we had to try and do something the second half,” Rutland head coach George Collins said. “I said the other day I knew (Northeast head coach Bruce) Mullen and his team would not quit. And they didn’t. That Northeast group is a group to be proud of. It was an amazing ballgame, and we were just very fortunate to come out with a win in a game like this.”
Northeast forced overtime after storming back from a 21-0 deficit in the fourth quarter, with Anthony Barnett tying the game as he stripped the ball loose from Rutland’s grip and picked it up while advancing to the end zone all alone for a 61-yard return.
Back-to-back touchdowns by Northeast, one a 15-yard scoring run by Rontravious Williams and another a 51-yard touchdown reception by Davion Hughes cut the Northeast deficit to 21-14.
Northeast entered the contest with arguably its best player, running back Jerome Grayer who accounted for 150 rushing yards last week, serving a suspension. Eight other Raiders served a suspension for Friday’s game.
“I really learned something about my guys (Friday),” Mullen said. “With suspensions and down three touchdowns, we have some kids that have something special in them and that don’t give up. We never gave up and kept fighting. And I’ll say this, a freshman quarterback fumbled the football there at the end, but if I had to choose anybody to be in that spot at that moment, I’d choose (Ussery) every single time. Every single time.”
Rutland’s defense stifled the Northeast offense for most of the night, holding the Raiders to just single yards rushing in the first half. The Rutland rushing game, however, was efficient throughout the night as all three regulation scoring plays came on runs.
Late in the first, Rutland running back Edwin Walton got the scoring started on a misdirection play up the middle for a 17-yard score. And with a little less than five minutes left in the first half, Rutland senior running back pushed his team’s lead to 14-0 as he punched the ball across the goal line on a 1-yard run.
Rutland quarterback K’vian Fuller capped the Hurricanes’ regulation scoring late in the third quarter, scoring on a quarterback sneak from a yard out, just two plays after connecting with sophomore Roger Farmer on a 28-yard pass that set the Hurricanes up just inside the Northeast 10.
“I’m very proud of our guys,” Collins said. “When things went bad, they didn’t back down and fought back. I’m very proud of our guys, and we’re looking forward to next week.”