Bridgeport came up just inches shy of converting a fourth down in Graham territory on its final drive, turning the ball over with 5:51 left. Two and half minutes later, Graham converted a crucial third down by inches on the way to running out the clock in a 28-23 victory over Bridgeport in the Class 3A Division II Region I playoff at Aledo's Bearcat Stadium.
"They stopped us by inches and they got theirs by a few inches," said Bridgeport coach Danny Henson. "It just came down to those close plays."
With the victory, Graham (12-1) moves on to play Wimberley Friday in the Class 3A Division II quarterfinal at Waco ISD Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
The loss ended Bridgeport's season at 7-5. Bridgeport, which started the season 1-4, won six straight games to reach the third round of the playoffs. It was the final game for 19 Bridgeport seniors.
"We had a great season," Henson said. "We were playing with a lot of inexperienced players and we needed [the seniors'] leadership. We had a successful season because of them."
Defensive end Daniel Scott was one of the Bridgeport seniors playing his final game. Scott recorded two of Bridgeport's four sacks of Graham quarterback Case McCoy.
"Everyone hung in there with the coaches and we were able to get all the way here," Scott said.
It was Bridgeport's second loss to Graham this season. Graham beat Bridgeport 49-48 on Oct. 2 as the Steers blocked an extra-point kick in the game's final minute. The two teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards in that first meeting. Friday, they combined for 749.
After two early turnovers allowed Graham to get out to a 21-0 lead in the first half, Bridgeport turned to its defense to keep them in the game as the offense chipped away. The defense added a safety with 3:15 left in the third quarter when Graham was whistled for holding in the end zone. The safety cut the deficit to five, 28-23.
Two possessions later, the Bridgeport defense was called upon to make a stand after the offense committed its fourth turnover of the night, a Cody Henson interception that was returned to the 20-yard line. Bridgeport finished with two fumbles and two interceptions.
"We had way too many turnovers," Henson said. "The kids played hard, but that's way too many turnovers to make against the No. 5 team in the state."
The Bridgeport defense held its ground and forced Graham to try a 31-yard field goal that sailed wide.
With 9:11 to play, Bridgeport took over at its 20-yard line. Henson connected with Jace Hudson for 46 yards to get the ball to the Graham 29-yard line. Three plays later on a fourth-and-2, Henson hit Jordan Daniel with a short pass. Daniel spun to the outside trying to reach for the first down. When the chains were brought out, it showed he was stopped just short of the amount needed for the first down.
With just under six minutes left, Bridgeport, who was still armed with three timeouts, needed to make a stop.
"The thing about our defense was that we've been good at making turnovers," Scott said. "We felt we had a chance to make a play. Once our offense gets in two-minute mode, they are one of the hardest to stop."
Graham picked up a first down and then was faced with a third-and-six at its 36-yard line. McCoy then scrambled for the a first down. McCoy finished with 25 yards on 13 carries. He threw for 228 yards, completing 16 of his 29 attempts with one interception.
After two more first downs, Graham faced a third-and-7 with 2:20 left. McCoy then hit Garrett Spears right at the first-down marker. Spears dove forward after the catch to get the first down after a measurement to keep the drive alive and make sure Bridgeport would not see the ball again.
"We felt like we put the defense in a bad spot all night," said Graham coach Brad McCoy. "We challenged [the offense] to win the game by putting the ball on the ground. That was the game. We got the ball with 5:51 left and they did not see the ball again."
Bridgeport gave Graham and McCoy some early help with a fumble on its first possession. Graham turned the opportunity into an 11-yard run by Cameron Bailey for a quick 7-0 lead.
Graham made it 14-0 with 5:17 left in the first quarter with Bailey scoring a second time from 1-yard out.
The Graham lead grew to 21-0 after two long pass plays by McCoy to Dylan Fulford and Connor Higgins. The 34-yard pass to Higgins gave Graham the ball at the Bridgeport 1. Three plays later, McCoy connected with Spencer Sims for a 6-yard touchdown.
Down three scores, Bridgeport went to the ground game to get on the scoreboard. After a long kickoff return and facemask penalty, Bridgeport ran the ball on eight straight plays to drive 39 yards for its first score. Trent Schuett scored from 1 yard out.
Bridgeport added a second touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. Taking over at its 39-yard line with 57 seconds left, Henson marched Bridgeport to the end zone in six plays. He hit Schuett on a screen pass to cover the final 22 yards to score with three seconds left in the half. Henson finished 23-for-33 with two interceptions and 280 yards.
