Seniors huddle around goal post for the last time
Photos courtesy of Patty Haught
By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Zack Moore to Aaron Yoak in the back of the end zone with less than six seconds remaining capped a furious rally to lead Calhoun to a 14-12 come-from-behind thriller over St. Marys Friday night in the season finale.
It was also probably the last football game for Calhoun's seniors as the Red Devils appear to have finished just outside the top 16 thereby missing the Class A state playoffs.
For the Red Devils to make the playoffs certain teams Calhoun beat would have needed to have won. They all lost. The Red Devils could also have made the playoffs if certain teams hovering near the top 16 would have had to lost. They all won.
The offense ready to work
Randy Fluharty takes the hand off from Zach Moore
Those things leaves Calhoun with a rating of 6.30 (tied with Bishop Donahue) but that rating is .33 behind Gilbert, which appears to have grabbed the 16th spot with a rating of 6.333. This unusual rating for Gilbert is because the Lions only played a nine-game schedule.
Aaron Yoak (left) catches the pass in the end zone
to put the Red Devils on top with only seconds left
in the game; Randy Fluharty (right) running the ball
Despite what will probably be disheartening news when the WVSSAC announces the 16-team Class A field Sunday afternoon the season finale was a heart-pumping Red Devils' victory on a cold, cold night at Mount Zion.
The first half of the game was eerily reminiscent of the Red Devils' heart-breaking loss to Wirt County a couple of weeks back, especially in the first half.
Calhoun did all it could by stumbling, bumbling and fumbling for much of the first half.
But unlike Wirt St. Marys did not get a lot of points, leading only 6-0 at halftime.
The second half also was a bit like the Wirt game as Calhoun fumbled the ball away on its first possession. This time the Red Devils had rolled all the way to the St. Marys four before coughing it up.
St. Marys was beginning to move the ball on the ground following the turnover only to have Randy Fluharty strip the St. Marys runner at the 20 yard line and return the fumble for the tying score.
Zach Moore's extra point kick gave the Red Devils their first lead of the game at the 4:36 mark of the third quarter.
The teams battled back and forth after that until St. Marys came up with a hook and ladder play to take the lead. The problem with that was the "ladder" part of the play was an illegal forward lateral the officials either never saw or never called.
Center #57 Tim Sutro and the offense line up after the huddle
Despite that St. Marys found itself in the lead 12-6 (it missed another extra point attempt) with two minutes remaining in the game.
The last drive of the game saw Calhoun not panic as it moved the ball on the ground and threw the air before reaching the six yard line where it faced a third-and-goal with 10.3 seconds remaining.
Moore took the snap and dropped back to pass while Yoak cut across the middle of the end zone and curled back. Moore fired a bullet to him that he snared near the back of the end zone. Moore's extra point set the final score.
St. Marys was not through however as on the ensuing kickoff as its players threw the ball all over the place before Yoak pulled down the runner to end the contest.
Moore passed for 31 yards on three of eight passing with Fluharty leading the way with 25 yards and Yoak adding the all import last six. Fluharty led Calhoun with 113 yards rushing on 23 carries while his younger brother Darrenger added 92 on 11 attempts. Moore chipped in with 45 more.
With the win Calhoun ends its regular season with a 6-4 record while St. Marys drops to 2-8.
Four senior players take one last walk on the field Friday
night as the seniors played their final game of the season,
#71 Jacob Haught, #4 Zach Moore, #81 Aaron Yoak, #57 Tim Sutro
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