G.W. Long beats Ariton on field goal on game’s final play

ARITON — G.W. Long had two chances to win the game, but backup kicker Graham Dunlap only had one.

That was all he needed. Dunlap drilled a 19-yard field goal after time had expired to lift the Rebels to a dramatic 38-36 victory over Ariton on Thursday night.

Rebel coach Scott Horne went with Dunlap after Mason Childers missed a 27-yard field goal as time expired. But Childers was roughed on the play, and his knee was throbbing.

As officials restored order after the Ariton’s sideline erupted, believing they had won, Dunlap went to Horne and said, “Let me go.”

“We’ve really got two kickers,” Horne said. “One kicks one time, the other kicks the next time. One had just missed so we tried the other one — and he made it.”

Childers, who had made three extra points, said, “I’m glad he did it because I’m just now realizing how bad my knee feels.”

It was a stunning end to a game filled with momentum swings. Ariton scored with just 2:08 remaining on quarterback Keshawn Leggett’s 1-yard sneak to pull within 35-34. After two timeouts, Auburn commitment Craig Sanders powered over right tackle for the two-point conversion that lifted the Purple Cats to a 36-35 lead.

But Rebel quarterback Dewayne Whigham drove his team 53 yards in 10 plays to set up the first field goal try. Whigham rushed the ball four times for 19 yards and was 2-for-2 for 9 yards to put Long on the Ariton 34 with 55.9 seconds left. Facing third-and-seven from the 34, he rolled to his left and found Blake York for 17 yards and a big first down at the 17 with 41.2 seconds to play.

Whigham scrambled for a big gain, but much of it was nullified by a block in the back penalty that made it first-and-13 from the 20 with 29 seconds remaining. A big sack by Ariton forced Long to call timeout with 20.6 seconds left facing second-and-18 from the 25.

Whigham threw a slant to Zack Walker, who earlier caught a 55-yard catch-and-run on a similar route for a touchdown. Walker got 16 yards as Leggett pulled him down by his jersey at the 9.

The Rebels ran the field goal unit on the field with four seconds to go. Childers missed wide left, but the penalty gave them an extra play. Dunlap made it count.

“Two teams played their heart out tonight,” Horne said. “You can’t (imagine) the emotion and the swings in momentum.”

Leggett was spectacular in the first half. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 239 yards and three touchdown passes to Cody Raymond as the Cats took a 20-14 halftime lead.

“We knew watching them on film we had to stop the run,” Horne said. “So we committed so many guys to stop the run that they started throwing it. It turned into an air raid instead of a running game.”

Long went 45 yards in four plays to start the second half with a touchdown. Whigham scored on a 12-yard run off left guard. Childers’ extra point gave the Rebels a 21-20 lead.

Ariton answered with a nine-play, 67-yard march to retake the lead. Sanders powered in from the 2 with 6:03 left. He then ran up the middle for the two-point conversion to make it 28-21 with 6:03 left in the third quarter.

Long answered in just four plays, all runs by Whigham. His 34-yard carry up the middle moved the ball to the 11. On the next play he bounced off right tackle and scored. Childers’ kick made it 28-all with 4:34 left in the third.

Walker intercepted Leggett at the Long 44 with 7:56 left in the game. The Rebels covered 56 yards in five plays in just 1:18. Whigham scored the touchdown on a 19-yard run around left end. Childers’ PAT gave the Rebels a 35-28 lead with 6:38 remaining.

The Cats answered with their eight-play, 54-yard, 4:24 march that ended with Leggett’s sneak and Sanders’ two-point run.

Ariton coach Rudy Free said Leggett and his receivers have improved in the last couple games.

“I was proud of Keyshawn with the way he played and the way he hung in there and fought,” Free said. “It’s just a tough way for the seniors to go out.”

In the first half, Raymond had eight catches for 159 yards receiving, including touchdown receptions of 49, 6 and 34 yards from Leggett. He also caught a two-point conversion pass.

“You want that kind of game,” Free said. “They laid it on the line. It’s a shame that one had to lose that one. It was a great atmosphere. A playoff-type atmosphere. It’s just hard right now.”