Bulls write perfect ending: Bridgeport rallies in final minute to beat Eagles
Bridgeport 24, Decatur 21
By Richard Greene | Published Sunday, November 8, 2009
After throwing his third interception with his team trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, Bridgeport quarterback Cody Henson wanted one more chance against the Decatur Eagles' defense.
With two minutes left in the game, the junior got his opportunity and made the most of it, leading his team on an 88-yard drive. Henson hit Austin Blevins with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left to complete Bridgeport's 24-21 come-from-behind victory in the 90th Battle of Big Sandy at Eagle Stadium.
"We just wanted to get out there and score, and we got that chance," said Cody Henson.
The victory completed Bridgeport's perfect run to the District 5-3A title. Bridgeport will now have a bye to the area round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs.
The loss ended Decatur's season at 2-7. The Eagles had a chance to make the playoffs with a win and an Iowa Park loss to Vernon. Iowa Park ended those hopes with a 48-0 victory.
"Our guys played a really hard game and gave a great effort," said Decatur coach Kyle Story. "They played a good game. It would have been a great game, if it was not for the three fumbles."
The game was the final one for 23 Decatur seniors.
"Like I told them in the locker room, they've had a bunch of adversity," Story said. "But I've never been prouder of a group. They kept fighting all year against people telling them they weren't any good. I was proud of their senior leadership and how they kept fighting hard each week."
The Decatur seniors appeared like they might close their careers with bragging rights over their top rivals after Henson's interception with 3:40 left in the game. Decatur took over at the Bridgeport 48 and was ableto get to the 35-yard line. Then, after Tyler Hodges was stuffed for no gain on a first down, Decatur attempted two passes that fell incomplete. The Eagles were forced to punt the ball back to Bridgeport with exactly two minutes left.
Going into a fierce south wind, Henson and the Bridgeport offense worked methodically. Henson hit on four passes, including an 18-yard completion to Jordan Daniel on a fourth-and-three at the Decatur 39-yard line to keep a drive alive. Facing a third-and-10 at the 21, Henson scrambled away from pressure and threw a jump ball into the end zone to Blevins.
"I ended up scrambling around and saw him," said Cody Henson. "I threw it up for a jump ball. I knew he would get it."
In his first Battle of Big Sandy at quarterback, Henson finished 18-for-41 for 257 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns. Both touchdown passes were to Blevins.
"He did a good job of coming back after throwing an interception that nearly cost us the game," said Bridgeport coach Danny Henson.
Led by Hodges, Decatur stunned Bridgeport and jumped out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Hodges ran for 82 yards on 15 carries in the first half. He finished the game with 100 yards on 27 carries.
Hodges capped Decatur's opening drive with an 11-yard scoring run.
After the two teams traded interceptions, Hodges put Decatur back in the end zone when he hit Colby Moore with a screen pass that he took 30 yards for the touchdown.
The Decatur lead grew to 21-0 with 6:11 left in the first half as Hodges capped a 70-yard, nine-play drive with a 6-yard scoring run.
The wind and the Decatur defense held Bridgeport in check in the first quarter. Bridgeport managed 52 yards in the first quarter, but had an interception and were stopped on downs.
Bridgeport for the night went 1-for-3 inside the red zone.
"We did a poor job early," said Danny Henson. "We didn't play well at all. But you have to give Decatur credit. That was the best defensive effort we've seen in the red zone."
Henson needed just two plays to lead the Bulls to their first score. He hit Austin Blevins with a 46-yard touchdown to trim the Decatur lead to 21-7.
In the waning seconds of the first half, Henson moved Bridgeport 23 yards in six plays taking just 21 seconds. The drive set up a 40-yard Ricky Martinez field goal as time expired to get Bridgeport to within 11, 21-10.
Decatur could never add to its lead and instead put it in peril with its own mistakes. Decatur fumbled on three of its first five possessions in the second half.
