Spartans outlast Hawkeyes in 40-34 barn burner
EXIRA (Sept. 3) -- Trey Petersen’s 55-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Flathers with just 1.9 seconds remaining lifted the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton football team to a thrilling 40-34 home win over West Harrison Friday night in the district opener for both teams.
The Eight-Player dog fight featured five fourth-quarter touchdowns and a pair of double-digit rallies by West Harrison before the Spartans finally prevailed, knocking down a Hawkeye pass on the final play of the game.
Exira-EHK (2-0 overall) led 18-6 after one quarter and rallied to go ahead 32-20 more than midway through the fourth, but the 1-1 Hawkeyes refused to go away.
One play after Petersen’s 25-yard TD pass to Tyler Kingery put the Spartans up 12, West Harrison answered with a 42-yard screen pass score from Mason McIntosh to Walker Rife with 5:15 to go.
Exira-EHK then had a 61-yard scoring play nullified by holding and had to punt from its own 4-yard line.
The Hawkeyes took over at their 25 and tied the game when McIntosh lofted a 45-yard touchdown pass to Koleson Evans with only :18 on the clock. A controversial two-point conversion run was ruled successful by the officials and put Exira-EHK down 34-32.
The Spartans had just 11 seconds left following the kickoff, but that was enough time for some Petersen-to-Flathers heroics at the wire.
Full story in Sept. 7 Harlan Tribune
Exira-EHK 40, West Harrison 34
WH: Gabe Gilgen 4-yd. run (PAT failed) - 1st qt.
E-EHK: Trey Petersen 4-yd. run (PAT failed) - 1st qt., 4:53.
E-EHK: Petersen 16-yd. run (PAT failed) - 1st qt.
E-EHK: Tyler Kingery 21-yd. fumble recovery in end zone (PAT failed) - 1st qt.
WH: Koleson Evans 44-yd. pass from Mason McIntosh (2-pt. PAT good) - 2nd qt.
WH: Walker Rife 3-yd. run (PAT failed) - 3rd qt.
E-EHK: Easton Nelson 30-yd. INT return (2-pt. PAT good) - 4th qt., 10:57.
E-EHK: Kingery 25-yd. pass from Petersen (PAT failed) - 4th qt., 5:29.
WH: Rife 42-yd. pass from McIntosh (PAT failed) - 4th qt., 5:15.
WH: Evans 45-yd. pass from McIntosh (2-pt. PAT good) - 4th qt., 0:18.
E-EHK: Aiden Flathers 55-yd. pass from Petersen (Petersen PAT run) - 4th qt., :01.9.