Cuba Stuns Sullivan In Final Seconds
Mason Pfieffer punched in a 2-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left on Friday to give Cuba a stunning 27-26 victory over Sullivan.
The Eagles (0-1) awoke from a slow first half to score 14 straight points and take a 20-12 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Devyn Harmon’s touchdown pass to Dillon Farrell on fourth-and-23 tied the game at 12-12 with 11:25 left to play.
Less than a minute later, Gavin Dace put the Eagles on top with a defensive touchdown. Farrell ran the two-point conversion on a fake field goal.
After Cuba tied the game at 20-20 with 6:56 remaining, Gabe Dace connected with Farrell for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 2:13 remaining.
The Wildcats refused to go quietly as Alan O’Neal returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards. He was brought down at the Sullivan 13.
On a third-and-goal from the Eagles 2, Pfieffer made his way into the end zone. The extra point put the Wildcats on top.
Sullivan would get the ball back, but three Hail Mary attempts hit the turf, allowing Cuba to walk away with a victory.
The explosiveness in the fourth quarter was a stark contrast to a disjointed first half by both teams.
Cuba struggled to run a play without committing a false start or an illegal procedure penalty. Sullivan had trouble moving the chains. They went three-and-out on their first two drives.
The Wildcats got on the board first when Pfieffer found O’Neal on a short pass. He turned up field and outran the Eagles 48 yards for a touchdown with eight seconds remaining in the quarter.
Sullivan picked up their first first down early in the second quarter. Ian King looked to have converted a third-and-6 and also got some extra yardage when Cuba grabbed him by the helmet.
The drive stalled out when Harmon was sacked on a fourth-and-14 in Wildcat territory.
Sullivan quickly got the ball back on a fumble by O’Neal, the first of three Cuba turnovers.
With 5:04 remaining in the half, Gabe Dace swung a pass to Jason Blankenship, who ran 14 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-9.
Cuba would get pinned all the way back on their own 14. They went further back on a sack by Gavin Dace, but Pfieffer hooked up with O’Neal for a 55-yard completion. It moved the ball to the Sullivan 36.
With 2:05 left, Pfieffer floated a pass to Dylan Keogh, who hauled it in with his toes edging the back of the end zone.
The Wildcats led 12-6 at the half.
Neither team would score in the third quarter, but Sullivan finally found a flow. Trey Blankenship carried the ball into Cuba territory and seemingly converted a third down, but it was called back on a block in the back.
Sullivan committed a penalty on a fourth-and-18, forcing them to go back another five yards.
On fourth-and-23, Harmon dropped back to find Farrell over the middle. With space between the defender, found the end zone to make it 12-12.
Gavin Dace’s defensive touchdown and Farrell’s two-point run gave the Eagles their first lead, 20-12 with 10:08 remaining.
Pfieffer broke off for a 35-yard run on the next drive. Facing a fourth-and-7 from the Sullivan 11, Pfieffer hit O’Neal for nine yards. Conner Gipson’s 2-yard touchdown run and Pfieffer’s two-point conversion tied the game 20-20.
Sullivan would go three-and-out on their next drive. Cuba began at their own 21. After a 19-yard completion to O’Neal, Pfieffer was picked off by Alex Goly on a deflection. Goly returned it to the Cuba 17 with 4:23 left to play.
With a chance to take the lead, Sullivan fumbled the ball on the first snap.
Cuba failed to pick up a first down and a fourth-and-17 pass was incomplete.
Sullivan took over at the Wildcats 15. Dace found Farrell to the right and he scored from 13 yards out to give Sullivan a 26-20 lead. The two-point run failed.
Harmon sent a booming kick back to the Wildcats. O’Neal had to go back on the ball, caught it near the 5 and jetted through the Eagles defense. He was tackled at the Sullivan 13.
O’Neal left the game after that, the second time he was helped off the field.
Sullivan’s defense tried to put up one last stand. After forcing the Wildcats back on a two-yard loss, the Eagles committed an encroachment penalty. It pushed the ball up the Sullivan 3. Two plays later, Pfieffer broke through.