Photo Credit: Clifton Grooms/Special to PrepsKCFAUCETT, Mo. – Mid-Buchanan staged a mighty comeback effort that fell just short during a 28-26 loss against South Shelby in the Class 2 quarterfinals.
Trailing by three scores at halftime, the Dragons quickly clawed their way back into the game thanks to a dominant third quarter but ultimately couldn’t find a way to overcome the deficit during a season-ending loss.
Mid-Buchanan (12-1) had a chance to win the game on the final play, but quarterback Raife Smith’s Hail Mary heave fell incomplete and handed the team its first loss of the season. Despite the defeat, Dragons’ coach Aaron Fritz said he was proud of the way his team battled all the way back.
“We got the ball back and gave ourselves a chance and got the ball back there at the end,” Fritz said. “Our kids don’t quit. I’m proud of them.”
South Shelby (11-1) bolted out to a significant lead during a dominant first half behind its strong running attack and explosive passing game.
Wide receiver/running back Pryce Eagan and quarterback Chase Mollinger both scored rushing touchdowns during the first quarter, and Eagan tacked on a 64-yard receiving touchdown shortly before halftime, giving the Cardinals a 20-0 lead at the break.
Factor in two interceptions during the half, and South Shelby coach Adam Gunterman couldn’t have been much happier with his team’s start.
“That’s how honestly we’ve played all year,” Gunterman said. “We were able to get out to (leads) on people early and then withstand with our defense throughout. That’s exactly what we had right there.”
But it didn’t take long for Mid-Buchanan to get right back into the game.
Senior Ian Wegenka snagged an interception on the very first drive of the third quarter, which sparked a huge swing in momentum in the Dragons’ favor.
Smith then notched a 15-yard touchdown run to put the Dragons on the board, and on its very next drive, Smith found a wide-open Nolan McGarry for a spectacular 84-yard touchdown catch that got the team within a single score, 20-14.
Mid-Buchanan’s defense set up two more scoring opportunities in the third quarter after recovering two fumbles, but South Shelby’s defense dug its heels in to maintain the lead.
“You never know what happens if you take the lead there, but man, we had a lot of momentum,” Fritz said. “Our kids were playing hard. We were flying around.”
After forcing a crucial turnover on downs, the Cardinals responded with perhaps the most important drive of the game – a 92-yard scoring drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock and gave them another two-score lead, 28-14.
Mollering finished off the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, and Gunterman specifically pointed to that sequence that helped get his team back on track.
“For our kids to rally there in that fourth-quarter drive where we scored and took a ton of time off the clock was a huge moment for our team,” Gunterman said. “For our defense to stand like that at the end is pretty special.”
Still, Mid-Buchanan set up a thrilling finish thanks to several clutch plays in the final minutes.
After taking possession with just more than five minutes remaining, Smith led a quick scoring drive with his second touchdown run of the game to pull the Dragons within a single score, 28-20.
Mid-Buchanan then recovered the onside kick, and Smith threw a picture-perfect touchdown to Zander Brown with 1:29 left on the clock that gave their team a chance to tie it up. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, however, and left the Dragons with still more to do.
The team’s leading passer and rusher, Smith had a hand in all four of the team’s touchdowns and put his dual-threat abilities on display throughout the contest, which helped fuel the team’s comeback effort.
“I saw him grow up today,” Fritz said of Smith. “It’s something I’ve been looking for him to do and be there guy that I can count on. I thought today he finally did that in the second half.
“He’s a really good football player. He could be as good as he wants to be.”
Mid-Buchanan would force one more punt and get the ball back with no timeouts and less than 30 seconds left on the clock. And after moving the ball just into South Shelby territory, Smith’s pass on the final play of the game drifted incomplete and lifted the Cardinals to the win.
In the process, South Shelby advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2011, when the team finished as the runner-up in Class 1.
After the game, Fritz noted the importance of the team’s season six seniors in everything the Dragons accomplished and praised his team’s resiliency, which led to the dramatic finish.
“It’s hard to win that many games and lose the last one and feel like you failed because our kids didn’t fail,” Fritz said. “They played hard, and I’m proud of everybody.”
