Narrow(s) victory over Giles comes with only :13 seconds left in thriller in Pearisburg
Giles High School, Pearisburg, VA – In a classic battle that will be talked about for years to come, Narrows scored on a 35-yard TD pass from QB/S 6 Kolier Pruett to WR 8 Elijah Knotze to get to within one, 27-28, with :22 left.
Making the choice to go for two and the win, Pruett bolted in from off right tackle and the Green Wave sidelines erupted. Narrows Coach Kelly Lowe, standing with Pruett post game, made no mistake about how the choice was made, “this man (6 Kolier Pruett), the rest of the Seniors, and the team got together after scoring that (last) touchdown, and I said we are going for two. And he (Pruett) said give me the ball.”
As good as Narrows was, Giles matched the Wave punch for punch. The Spartans executed well, eating clock and scoring points. Pruett finished with 14 carries, 142 yards and the game clinching 2-pointer for the Wave. He also was 7/15, 132, 3TDs throwing the ball, replacing QB 18 Hunter Owens early on. On Giles side it was the RB 5 Christian Ratcliffe show.
The Senior, a savvy runner, carried the ball 40 times for 200 yards and three scores. Both teams scored on every possession in the first half with the exception of Narrows last drive. Giles DB 9 Brogan Pennington intercepted Pruett on a tipped ball with no time left. Giles led 20-14 at the break.
The second half, the defenses showed up. Narrows stopped Spartan drives twice on downs and Giles stuffed the Wave once on downs and then got a blocked punt by RB/LB 23 Jackson Parsell recovered by RB/DB 21 Logan Greenway in the end zone to go up 28-21 with 1:13 left.
But it wasn’t to be Giles night. Pruett summed up the win, “It’s sweet, not a better feeling in the world. I am proud of the guys. We don’t quit, and that’s what we are good at. We are a special group.”
This contest was a game of opposites. Both teams had the ball three times each in the first half, and they scored on each series with the exception of Narrow’s last possession. It ended with Pruett firing the ball into the end zone an DB 9 Pennington’s interception. Giles drives were text book single wing. The first ended after 11 plays and resulting in RB 5 Christian Ratcliffe’s 18-yard TD run.
The extra point was bobbled and no good. Giles led 6-0 with half the quarter gone. Narrows answered but not without losing an important part of their offense. QB 18 Hunter Owens went down with a leg injury on the Green Wave’s fourth offensive play after an eleven yard pick up. Enter WR/QB/S 6 Kolier Pruett back behind center. The Senior would do whatever it takes to get the victory. Pruett said as much after the game, “I will do whatever it takes to win. They need me to go O’line, I will go block. I love this team and I am glad to be a Green Wave.” Two plays later, it looked like the Spartans had Pruett hemmed in and stopped, but he bounced off a few would-be tacklers, reversed field and used his speed to get into the end zone from 36-yards out. K/WR/DE 11 Matt McGlothlin’s PAT put the Wave up 7-6 at the 3:39 mark of the first quarter. Giles answered. Again Ratcliffe capped off a long, time consuming drive, with a 12 play possession and a 9-yard TD run. K/RB/LB 23 Jackson Parsell split the uprights and Narrows lead was cut to 7-6. Halfway through the second quarter, Narrows extending their lead. It took the visitors six plays for Pruett to find WR 8 Elijah Knotze racing down the sidelines behind Spartan’s secondary.
The 42-yard strike came as Pruett and team were looking at a third and twelve. The Giles offense roared back. Again it was a long, sustained drive of 14 plays with Ratcliffe changing the scoreboard on a 4-yard run, and more importantly, leaving only :37 seconds left until the half. With the point after, Giles led 20-14. Thirty-seven seconds, as the night went, was almost enough time for Narrows to score again. The last throw as time expired was in the end zone but DB 9 Pennington caught the tipped ball and Giles took the six point lead into the break.
The second half was a horse of a different color. More defense, less points. Narrows got the ball first and was forced to punt. Giles ate up clock and used 14-plays but was eventually thwarted on fourth down at the Narrows eighteen with just over a minute left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was the one that you didn’t want to leave early on. Narrows drove the ball 82-yards for the go ahead score. Pruett had to do his magic on fourth down though, finding Matt McGlothlin in the middle of the end zone. With 9:59 left in the game, Narrows led 21-20.
Giles would march again, but again were foiled on fourth down. On one of the few plays for a loss, Ratcliffe was tackled behind the line for a three yard loss on third down. HIs fourth down pass would fall incomplete. It looked like Narrows may be able to milk the clock and salt away the win, but that wasn’t how this one played out. The Giles defense held back the Green Wave offense and forced a punt from Narrow’s eleven yard line. LB/RB 23 Jackson Parsell burst through the line blocked the punt. Following close behind RB/DB 21 Logan Greenway fell on the loose ball in the end zone and that quickly Giles reassumed the lead. Greenway scored on the following 2-point try and with only a minute thirteen left Giles lead was 28-21. Coach Lowe was honest about that moment, “We kind of got on our heels. The blocked punt set us back. We could’ve got down.” But the Green Wave didn’t get down and they weren’t done. After a short kickoff, Narrows took over at their own forty-three. Knotze caught a 15-yard pass on first down into Giles territory. Two plays later the Pruett to Knotze worked for ten more yards down the Spartan’s thirty five with :22 seconds left. That set up the unbelievable 35-yard TD catch by Knotze in the front corner of the end zone.
The Freshman, partially blocked by the defender facing him with his arms up, somehow caught the ball one handed, left handed and tumbled to the ground. A flag was thrown for interference but it took awhile for the team of officials to actually call the TD catch good. That play took :06 seconds. Narrows went for the win with the 2-point try. Kolier kept it and bolted in for the stunning turnaround win.
It was a game where you hated to see either team lose. Both played their hearts out, but in the end Kolier and his Green Wave teammates were determined to keep their undefeated season going. Coach Lowe was elated after the efforts of his team, “Sky is the limit. When you work hard to get better each day, you’ve got heart like that and Seniors like this, the Sky is the limit.”
SCORING
1st Qtr:
Giles – Christian Ratcliffe 18-yd TD run, PAT no good (6:04)
Narrows – Kolier Pruett 36-yd TD run, Matt McGlothlin PAT (3:39)
2nd Qtr:
Giles – Christian Ratcliffe 9-yd TD run, Brogan Pennington PAT (9:36)
Narrows – Elijah Knotze 42-yd TD reception from Kolier Pruett, Matt McGlothlin PAT (7:42)
Giles – Christian Ratcliffe 2-yd TD run, Brogan Pennington PAT (0:37)
3rd Qtr:
4th Qtr:
Narrows – Matt McGlothlin 21-yd TD reception from Kolier Pruett, Matt McGlothlin PAT (9:59)
Giles – Logan Greenway recovers blocked punt by Jackson Parsell in end zone, Logan Greenway 3-yd run for 2 pointer (1:13)
Narrows – Elijah Knotze 35-yd TD reception from Kolier Pruett,
Kolier Pruett 3-yd run for 2 pointer (0:13)
Game Stats
Rushing:
Narrows – Kolier Pruett 14/124,TD,2ptr, Hunter Owens 1/11, Cooper Helvey 5/7 Giles – Christian Ratcliffe 40/200, 3TDs, Khalik Saunders 13/83, Jackson Parsell 4/30, 26 – 1/7, Logan Greenway 1/3
Passing:
Narrows – Kolier Pruett 7/15,132,3TD,INT, Hunter Owens 0/1 Giles – Jackson Parsell 1/1,24, Christian Ratcliffe 0/2
Receiving:
Narrows – Elijah Knotze 4/102,2TDs, Matt McGlothlin 3/32,TD Giles – Brogan Pennington 1/24