By LORI LYONS, Journal Sports
There’s been a bitter taste in St. Mary’s coach Kedrin Seastunk’s mouth all weekend long. Well, it’s been there since Friday night when his football team, just seconds away from a big win over Montgomery on homecoming night, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and lost, 20-14.
St. Mary’s (3-5, 0-2) led 14-12 and had Montgomery on the ropes with a fourth-and 17 on their own 27-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the game. When the Montgomery quarterback threw incomplete, St. Mary’s was ready to celebrate – until they spotted the flag. Pass interference.
“I saw it go over his head,” Seastrunk said. “We shut them down on fourth down. The game was won. All we had to do was get the ball, kneel it and call it victory.”
Instead, Montgomery got new life and a new set of downs. Their drive continued down the field and, with four seconds remaining, Montgomery scored then went for two to break St. Mary’s players’ and fans hearts.The visiting Tigers scored 20 unanswered points in the final quarter.
“This was the feeling of beating ourselves,” Seastrunk said. “It wasn’t a team beating us because the game was won. It was literally us beating us. We did everything we did to win but the last final seconds.”
Braylon Norman threw one touchdown pass to Haiden Nelson and ran for a 4-yard touchdown. Carter Hogg kicked both PATs to put St. Mary’s ahead 14-0 through three quarters.
There was no suspense for Lakeview coach Lawrence Seawood and the Gators. They traveled to Logansport and lost 63-0. It was the sixth time the Gators were shut out this season.
“It started out 0-0 so that was good,” Seawood joked.
But he quickly added that he had his team ready to compete against the Tigers.
“We knew they were going to be tough,” he said. “I tell my kids we’re going to compete. We never go into a game thinking, ‘Oh, we’re just going to lose.’ We practiced, we prepped. We know what things work in our favor. We came in with a plan. Sometimes the plan just don’t work.”
Contact Lori at sportslyons@gmail.com
