By Staff
Special to The Star/The Meridian Star
Nov. 25, 2001
HERNANDO A devastating fumble on the final play of the first half cost the Louisville Wildcats a shot at a sixth State 4A title on Friday in a 4A quarterfinal playoff game.
Hernando's Steven St. John picked up a loose ball at mid-field and rumbled 50 yards for the touchdown. The Tigers then used a fake, two-point conversion play when Kyle Cleveland passed to Rob Rammage to put Hernando up 29-21 at the half.
Louisville was unable to recover and fell 36-28. The Wildcats finish the season with a 8-5 record. Hernando improves to 12-1 and will move on to the North State 4A title game against Clarksdale.
Louisville did get to within a point in the second half when Keontae Eiland scored on a two-yard run. Anthony Stanford converted the two-point conversion to make it 29-28 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
Hernando came back with 6:43 left in the game to score a clinching touchdown. Kevin Dockery scored on a 45-yard run. Nickolas Baumburger booted the kick to make it 36-28.
Louisville took a 20-14 lead in the first half on the strength of three touchdown runs by Horace Glenn. He scored on runs of 6, 8 and 56-yards. The Wildcats, however, could make just one conversion that coming on a run by Stanford that made it 20-14 with 5:53 left in the half.
Dockery tied the game on a two-yard run with 53 seconds left in the half. Baumburger's kick put Hernando up 21-20.
Dockery also had an eight-yard TD run while Larry Henderson caught a 65-yard halfback pass from Wesley Bolden. Baumburger made all three of his first half PAT kicks.