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August 30, 2008

Mabank overcomes Kaufman, 42-39

By Art Lawler Cedar Creek Pilot

MABANK — Senior quarterback Kolton Browning led the Mabank Panthers to a wildly improbable come-from-behind victory over rival Kaufman during Friday night’s season opener at Panther Stadium.

The Panthers won it, 42-39, but not before abusing their fans until 11 p.m. and making them hang on to the very last second after a 45-minute delay because of lightning in the area.

That’s when an unlikely hero, team punter Duncan Schultz, body-slammed R.J. Turner to the ground after he’d run for 34 of the 40 yards the Lions would need for a last-second victory.

The hit that ended it came with no time on the clock and Kaufman at the Panther six-yard line.

Fans crawled out of the stadium, thrilled and exhausted.

Before that, it was one magic trick after another. Just to keep it dramatic with his team trailing 39-34, Browning waited until the clock was down to 1:06 on a fourth-down play to help the Panthers into the end zone.

On fourth down, Browning drilled Cory Janicke eight yards deep in the end zone with a game-winning touchdown pass.

For good measure, he hit him again on a two-point conversion play for a three-point lead over the Lions.

Kaufman, with its two dangerous and exciting running backs — Kevin Djotie and Ayron Miles — not to mention a fairly decent makeshift passing attack, moved the ball 55 yards in seven plays after Mabank had taken an unlikely 34-33 lead with 4:18 left.

Before that happened, a slumbering Mabank defense, which seemed to be tackling molasses in the third quarter, gave up three straight drives and 19 points after the break for a 33-14 deficit.

There were a lot of red tail lights leaving the stadium at that point. But those who stayed, saw one for the ages in Texas high school football. It was a game that had it all. Good football. Bad football. Sloppy tackling, fantastic running and brilliant passing.

It also had lots of heroic football and an incredible comeback. The only lightning these two teams saw was from each other.

It was 14-13 when lightning reports prompted officials to delay the game.

Mabank had just scored, but the extra point wouldn’t be added for another 45 minutes because of the delay. Kicker Michael Blackburn was finally able to kick the Panthers’ point-after-touchdown following the delay.

Talk about icing a kicker. But Mabank’s junior soccer player put the ball through, setting up a brand new game, one Mabank fans will be talking about for a good long while.

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