Boxcore
BELTON, Texas — Alan Munoz nailed a
33-yard field goal with five seconds to play to send Mary
Hardin-Baylor to a 38-35 win over Hardin-Simmons in the first round
of the Division III football playoffs, Saturday afternoon at Tiger
Field in Belton.
The game was a thriller throughout and much like you got the
feeling early in the game the team with the ball last was going to
win.
UMHB scored two quick touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a
35-21 lead with 12:08 to play in the game, but HSU responded with
two scores of its own to tie it at 35-35 with 1:30 left.
The momentum of the game changed for UMHB as the game was tied at
21-21 at the end of the third quarter. The Cru stopped the Cowboys
just inches short on a fourth down play at the Cru 25. UMHB then
hit the Cowboys with an option pass to Aertrail Robinson for 73
yards.
On the next series Derrick Williams picked off a Justin Feaster
pass at the Cowboy 27 and UMHB hit a halfback pass from Bryson
Tucker to Ervin Johnson for a touchdown to make it 35-21.
Feaster responded by leading the Cowboys down the field 57 yards
in five plays. He found Justice Baker for a 15-yard touchdown on
4th-and-9. The Cowboys forced a UMHB punt and then Feaster drove
the Cowboys 80 yards in 11 plays. He capped that one with his
fourth TD pass of the game, this one to tight end Jerrad Grisham.
After the score, the Cowboys squib-kicked and Matt Hurst picked it
up and returned the ball to the HSU 47-yard line. Josh Saenz hit
Pi'Dadro Davis on a 25-yard completion to set up the
game-winning field goal.
HSU got on the board first with a 15-play, 90-yard drive. Feaster
found Baker on a 4-yard fade for the touchdown. UMHB's Tucker
returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown. After an HSU
punt, UMHB went 62 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 14-7 on a 1-yard
plunge by Tommy Vadell.
The Cowboys came back and Mychal Carrillo scored on an
over-the-shoulder, one-handed 30-yard touchdown pass. The teams
exchanged touchdowns on the next two possessions. After that the
teams exchanged nine straight punts, with the exception of a kneel
down at the end of the half.
HSU had 469 yards of offense in the game and Feaster completed
26-of-36 passes for 306 yards and four TDs and he also rushed for
one.
The Cowboys finish the season with a record of 9-2 and UMHB will
host Wesley next weekend in the second round.
--- HSU ---
