By Scott Nickerson
Staff Writer
Stanhope Elmore Junior wide receiver Jackson Thomas showed why he is considered a Division 1 prospect against defending Region 3 champ Pelham Panthers. Thomas had 1 touchdown on 7 receptions for 157 yards. If he could have made it 158 yards, the Mustangs would be leading the Class 6A Region 3 standings, but a Pelham defender made one of the plays of the year as time expired that literally was the difference between victory and defeat.
Trailing 14-13 with less than 20 seconds in the game, the Mustangs faced a 4th down on their own 25-yard line. The Mustangs ran a hook and ladder, a classic end of the game play. Quarterback Jacob Bryant connected with a Mustang receiver about 10 yards away, but the receiver lateraled the ball to a streaking Thomas, who took the ball in stride and cut up field racing down the sideline past most Pelham defenders. A Panther defender from the opposite side of the field tracked down Thomas, with the referees ruling Thomas down just one yard away from the goal line and a miraculous game winning final play. The Panthers celebrated a one-point victory on the Mustangs home field as Stanhope Elmore fans went from jubilation to shock.
Despite taking place four weeks into the season, the game had a tense feeling of a late season or playoff game. The scoreless 1st quarter raced by and was completed just 18 minutes after kickoff with both teams playing conservatively by rushing the ball on nearly every play.
The Mustangs had the first scoring threat early in the 2nd quarter, and advanced the ball to the Pelham 12-yard line. Bryant fumbled the snap and lost 6 yards on a 3rd and 10, and the Mustangs were unable to pick up any points after finishing the drive in the Pelham red zone. The missed opportunity would come back to hurt the Mustangs.
Stanhope Elmore’s defense continued to play excellent, with defensive lineman Caleb Foster and linebacker Fred Bass delivering vicious hits and racking up multiple tackles. The defense quickly got the ball back to the offense, and this time the Mustangs put points on the board. Bryant found Kneikao Jackson for a 30-yard reception, and running back Antonio Trone rushed the ball 9 times during the drive and capped it off with a 3-yard touchdown. The Mustangs took a 7-0 lead into halftime.
The Panthers came out of the break and were able to score on their first two possessions, tying the game 7-7 with 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The go ahead score came on an 11-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the 4th quarter.
What had been a good old fashioned, hardnosed, physical football game suddenly got crazy. The Mustangs returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield. They faced a 4th on 1 a few plays later, but the Panthers defense held and got the ball back.
Three of the next four plays were fumbles recovered by the opposing defense. First, the Mustangs came up with a recovery. The very next play, the Mustangs fumbled at Pelham recovered. Two plays after that, the Panthers gave the ball back to the Mustangs.
This time, the Mustangs made it count, and looked for Thomas to break things open. 40 yards from the end zone, Bryant found Thomas on a screen pass, and Thomas was able to use his speed and vision to break open and find the end zone. The extra point attempt was no good, so the Mustangs trailed by 1.
The Mustangs defense was once again able to hold, and forced a Panthers punt. But the punt went for more than 50 yards and pinned the Mustangs inside their own 10-yard line. The Mustangs drive ended in an interception, and it appeared that the Panthers would seal the game. The Mustangs defense again held strong, and forced a turnover on downs. With just 48 seconds remaining in the game and no timeouts, the Mustangs held the ball at their own 35-yard line. However, a Pelham sack on 1st down pushed the Mustangs back as valuable time ran off the clock. The Mustangs attempted a couple more passes before setting up the dramatic final play that ended with Thomas being tackled just short one yard short of the end zone.
For the game, Trone rushed the ball 34 times for 141 yards and 1 touchdown. Bryant was 11-24 for 212 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
The Mustangs drop to 2-2 on the season, and 1-1 in Class 6A Region 3. The Mustangs will travel to Clanton next week to take on the Chilton County Tigers. It will be the first home game of the season for the Tigers, who are 0-3 after suffering a 21-0 loss at Calera in Week 4.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
