Published: September 11, 2007 08:03 am      

Cards stun No. 5 Bulldogs

TVCC hangs on to win double-overtime thriller

Call it a shot heard around the National Junior College Athletic Association.

The Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals pulled off a big upset Saturday afternoon with a 38-31 win over the No. 5-ranked Georgia Military College Bulldogs in double overtime at Davenport Field in Milledgeville, Ga.

First-year coach Brad Smiley’s Cardinals improved to 2-1 with the win. Georgia Military fell to 1-1.

The Cardinals are scheduled to open Southwest Junior College Football Conference action Saturday at home against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Game time is 7 p.m.

TVCC scored in the second overtime on a 19-yard pass from Patrick Cook to Kendale Mayberry. Angel Nava tacked on the PAT.

Georgia Military’s bid to keep the game alive was rejected on a dropped pass on fourth down.

In the first overtime, Malcolm Williams intercepted a Georgia Military pass to turn back the Bulldogs, who had the ball first. Nava missed a 35-yard field goal for the Cardinals.

The Bulldogs built a 17-14 halftime lead. But the Cardinals opened the second half with a scoring drive that took 8:08 off the clock and ended on a 10-yard pass from Cook to Lloyd James. Nava’s PAT gave the Cardinals their first lead since having been up 7-3 midway through the first quarter.

Nava put the Cardinals up 24-17 five seconds deep into the fourth quarter with a 29-yard field goal.

TVCC appeared to have the game put away with 9:30 to go, going up 31-17 on an 11-yard scoring strike from Cook to Tarcellus Mitchell. Nava added the PAT.

But it didn’t take the Bulldogs long to get back into the game. Taikwon Paige took the ensuing kickoff and took it back 89 yards for a touchdown.

Georgia Military tied the game with 52 seconds left on a nine-yard pass from Joei Fiegler to Fernando Washington. The initial two-point conversion failed on an incomplete pass, but a pass interference penalty gave the Bulldogs another chance, which they converted into a Jarrell Crawford run and 31-31 tie.

The TVCC defense produced a pair of touchdowns in the first half. Williams returned a fumble 52 yards with 6:03 to go in the first quarter and Corey White returned one 45 yards in the second quarter, cutting the GMC lead to 17-14.

Georgia Military turned the ball over six times — three interceptions and three fumbles.

Scoring Summary

GMC – Juan Rodriguez, 27 FG. 11:50 1Q GMC, 3-0

TVCC – Malcolm Williams, 52-fumble return. (Angel Nava kick). 6:03 1Q TVCC, 7-3.

GMC – Pat Wilkinson, 14 -pass from Joei Fiegler. (Juan Rodriguez kick). 1:06 1Q GMC, 10-7.

GMC – James Poe, 29-run. (Juan Rodriguez kick). 1:13 2Q GMC, 17-7.

TVCC – Corey White, 45 fumble return. (Angel Nava kick). GMC, 17-14.

TVCC — Lloyd James, 10 pass from Patrick Cook. (Angel Nava kick). 6:52 3Q TVCC, 21-17

(8:08 drive to start 2nd half)

TVCC — Angel Nava, 29 FG. 14:55 4Q. TVCC, 24-17

TVCC — Tarcellus Mitchell, 11 pass from Patrick Cook. (Angel Nava kick). 9:30 4Q TVCC, 31-17

GMC — Taikwon Paige, 89 KOR. (Juan Rodriguez kick blocked). 9:11 4Q TVCC, 31-23.

GMC — Fernando Washington, 9 pass from Joei Fiegler. (Jarrell Crawford, 2xp run) 0:52 31-31

TVCC — Kendale Mayberry, 19 pass from Patrick Cook. (Angel Nava kick).