When Basehor-Linwood High needed a big play, Jahron McPherson delivered as the Bobcats came back to defeat Louisburg High 41-34 on Friday night.
McPherson scored the game-winning touchdown on a 19-yard catch and run from Justin Phillips with 1:18 remaining in the game.
“Shoutout to Nick Fisher,” McPherson said. “That was a great block.”
McPherson had nothing but space, but had one man to beat, and it was Fisher who sealed off an open lane on the sideline.
With the Bobcats leading 13-0, the Wildcats got seven back, McPherson was there to take it 80 yards on the kickoff to get the points right back.
When the Wildcats recovered a squib kick to open the third quarter and tie the game at 20 a few players later, McPherson was there to give the Bobcats the lead right back on a 47-yard touchdown run on Basehor-Linwood’s next possession.
Heck, even when Louisburg needed a big play, McPherson was there to give them the ball on the Basehor-Linwood 16.
“That’s a huge senior mistake that shouldn’t have happened,” McPherson said. “(I was carrying the ball) in the wrong hand. I had the ball in my right hand running to the left.”
Five plays later Thomas San Agustin punched it in from a yard out to give the Wildcats a 34-27 lead.
On their next drive the Bobcats marched 92 yards, capped off by a 22-yard score by Austin Ettinger, his second rushing touchdown of the night.
Austin Roberts set up the winning drive after he picked off Louisburg quarterback Austin Terry at the Basehor-Linwood 41.
And Eric Scott sealed the game with an interception for the Bobcats with less than 30 seconds left.
“I read his hips, and once he opened up after the hitch and go, I was like, ‘Oh, crap, I got to go back,’” Scott said. “Luckily I have good recovery speed and long arms.
“He had one step on me,” he said with a smirk when asked if Mitch McLellan had a step on Scott.
McLellan already scored a touchdown on the night — a 68-yard bubble screen and run — and he and Austin were working well together on the final drive.
The Wildcats had its chances, but a slow start in the first half, which included four penalties, and a blocked punt that set up Ettinger’s first touchdown didn’t help.
Louisburg coach Kyle Littrell was reluctant to talk as he held back tears.
He said this game is something that he’ll think of on the bus ride home.
“I knew we wouldn’t stop,” Littrell said of his team coming back.
They were able to do so because Terry ran for one score and threw for two touchdowns, one to Cole Kramer for 22 yards and another to McClellan for 68. San Augstin ran for two touchdowns.
Louisburg was able to recover two squib kicks on the night, including one after making the score 27-26 Basehor-Linwood. But on that drive the Wildcats missed a 34-yard field goal.
Bobcats’ coach Rod Stallbaumer said getting on squib kicks is something that will need to be fixed before it hosts Eudora in a Week 5 rematch in which the Cardinals won 48-21.
“Eudora came out and beat us pretty handedly the first time,” Stallbaumer said. “That’s a game you don’t often get a chance to try again, so our kids are looking forward to it. They’re a dang-good team. They may be the hottest team in 4A. They’ve won seven-straight, and are playing extremely well.”
