Chester Cyclones rally for last-minute win over Indian Land Warriors
With 13.3 seconds left, John Erby rolled right and threw back to his left to hit a sliding T.J. Hollis in the corner of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 10 to lift the Chester Cyclones to a breathtaking 35-34 win over the Indian Land Warriors Friday night at The Reservation.
The scoring pass tied the game at 34, leaving it to Erby to kick the game-winning extra point. Erby was 5-for-5 on extra points. Erby then picked off the final desperation pass from the Warriors at the Chester 33 with 3.5 seconds left.
“We knew they would flow to Quay (Hardin), and they would commit two to him,” Chester head coach Victor Floyd said of Erby’s TD pass. “And we felt like if we could go away from him, we would have a chance."
Erby passed for 202 yards and ran for 90 more, including two rushing touchdowns.
"He's kind of the epitome of what you want in a student athlete,” Floyd said of Erby. “I think he's the ideal guy to lead our team, and nights like tonight he came through. Even when we stick him on defense and he picks it at the end of the game."
With less than two minutes to play, Indian Land quarterback David Loughry found Tyree Sistare open along the left sideline on third-and-10, and Sistare outraced the Cyclone defenders for the 68-yard score that put the Warriors up 34-28.
Indian Land coach Horatio Blades called timeout after the score but elected not to go for two. Indian Land's first extra point attempt of the night bounced off the right upright and left the home team trailing 7-6. The missed point proved crucial in the end.
TURNING POINT
In a game with four lead changes, the Erby-to-Hollis pass with 13.3 ticks left proved to be the biggest.
The Warriors led 27-14 early in the third quarter after recovering a punt off of a Cyclone's helmet at the 4-yard line.
There were three lead changes in the final quarter alone.
CRITICAL
Chester junior running back Pha'Leak Brown did not play but Stan Mills ran for 126 yards and two scores.
Indian Land was called for a pass interference penalty with 10:10 left that gave Chester first-and-goal at the eight. Mills scored two plays later to put Chester up 28-27.
STAR CONTRIBUTORS
Mills had 126 yards on 15 carries, and Hollis had seven catches for 85 yards. Indian Land running back Jacob Carroll carried the ball 32 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Warrior QB Loughry was 9-for-17 for 185 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
ON DECK
Chester will host Columbia next week, while the Warriors will have a bye week before traveling to Columbia.
This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Chester Cyclones rally for last-minute win over Indian Land Warriors."