MERIDIAN —
With 25.9 seconds remaining in a key Region 5-4A game, Laurel Tornado placekicker Saul Lopez split the uprights from 29 yards out to give Laurel a 38-35 hard fought win against host Northeast Lauderdale.
The win put Laurel at 5-4, 3-1 in the division while NEL dropped to 4-6, 1-3 in the division.
The Trojans had just fought back midway in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 35 on a 12-yard TD toss from Josh Everett to wideout Roland Bunch and Kaytee Nelson's PAT with 8:23 left in the contest.
The Trojans gave up yards to the Tornadoes on the ensuing drive but stiffened at their own 21, making Laurel give the ball up on downs with 5:01 left in the game. It seemed Northeast would take its first lead of the game on a 50-yard sprint by Phillip Everett, who finished the night with 177 yards and a touchdown and a receiving score, but a holding penalty negated the touchdown. The Trojans punted hoping to get the ball back one last time.
The Tornadoes, however, had different plans. Behind the running of Virzil Tillman, Darius McGee and Kobe Drummer, Laurel moved the ball down to the Northeast 11 where Lopez set up and then booted the game-winner.
The game began badly for Northeast as a botched punt attempt resulted in Laurel getting the ball at the Trojan 11. One play later, Tornado quarterback Keon Howard found 6-foot-2 receiver Octavious Cooley in the end zone for the score. On the next Laurel possession Howard again connected with Cooley, this time from 33 yards out, to put Laurel ahead 14-0.
But the Trojans came charging back.
Josh Everett, rolling to his right, found his brother, Phillip Everett, sitting in the middle of zone coverage. Phillip Everett took the short toss and zipped 67 yards for the score. Nelson's PAT was good and Northeast had cut the Tornado lead in half, 14-7.
Midway through the second quarter, linebacker Otis Mosley stepped in front of a Howard pass attempt and returned the interception for the Trojans down to the Tornado 23. A couple plays later, Josh Everett found Troy Neely in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard score. Nelson's PAT was good and at the half the two teams were knotted up at 14.
The second half turned into a shootout as the fans witnessed five touchdowns in five minutes.
Laurel started the onslaught when Howard connected with Dauro Rogers from 10 yards to give the Tornadoes a 21-14 lead. But the Everett brothers would not let that stand.
Phillip Everett ripped off a 53-yard run to the Laurel 30 and then Josh Everett kept up the middle from there to complete the two-play, 83-yard drive.
Laurel's Chris Horne was the main man through the air for Howard though. Horne pulled in TD passes of 29 and 34 yards and sandwiched in between them was a beautiful 47-yard scamper by Phillip Everett. By the time the two teams entered into the fourth quarter, Laurel still led 35-28.
Northeast was forced to punt on their next possession but Trojan defensive back Robert Collins intercepted Howard at the Northeast 35 and returned the theft to the Laurel 37. Josh Everett would hook up with Keatron Butler from 12 yards out, and Nelson again would make the PAT, to pull Northeast even yet again at 35 all, setting up the final five minutes of the game.
Northeast Lauderdale gained 344 yards on the night. Laurel finished the night with 440 total yards.
Northeast Lauderdale will complete their regular season against cross-county rival West Lauderdale on Thursday night at Trojan Field. A win would clinch a playoff berth for Northeast.
Sports
Lopez boots Laurel past Northeast
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