Defense stops Bruton last second conversion to force overtime, New Kent wins 28-26

New Kent's Austin Heath (22) lunges for Bruton's Zach Uvodich as the Bruton holder chases after a fumbled snap on a game-tying extra point kick try in the fourth quarter. Heath tackled Uvodich to preserve a one-point New Kent lead. The play led to Bruton attempting a tying two-point conversion that was stuffed by New Kent's defense in the game's final seconds.

Alan Chamberlain photos

With 34 seconds left in regulation and overtime looming if Bruton made good on a two-point conversion, New Kent’s defense rose to the occasion. The host Trojans stuffed the Panthers’ bid to extend Friday night’s football encounter to preserve a 28-26 victory in an error-plagued contest during which each team capitalized on the opponent’s miscues.

One of those costly mistakes — a fumbled snap on a conversion kick try that forced Bruton into the position of having to go for two to stay in the game. But New Kent also had its share of untimely errors.

“The two fumbles we lost probably made the game closer than it should have been, but we played tough and finished the entire 48 minutes right down to the end,” said winning head coach Dan Rounds.

“A couple of penalties set us back, but we blocked really well and were fairly consistent except for the turnovers,” he added.

That blocking enabled Trojan ball carriers Trent Orie and Davion Barnes to eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark. Orie carried 24 times for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Barnes, meanwhile, added 122 yards on just 13 carries, including a 10-yard TD burst.

Orie gave New Kent the early lead on a three-yard plunge, capping a five-play, 95-yard drive highlighted by Barnes’ 65-yard scamper to the Panther eight-yard line. But Bruton answered with a 75-yard march to tie on Daniel Jones’ 17-yard run on the first quarter’s final play. Jones then picked up a fumble on New Kent’s next series and sprinted 60 yards to the end zone to help create a 14-7 Bruton lead.

Unfazed, the Trojans marched 62 yards in nine plays to even the affair as Barnes started left, looked to cut upfield, but then bounced outside to reach the goal line from 10 yards out. John Elswick’s recovery of a Bruton fumble near midfield set up the Trojans’ go-ahead drive, climaxed by Orie’s 36-yard sprint through a gaping hole opened by his offensive line. New Kent owned a 21-14 halftime lead.

Another lost fumble on New Kent’s first possession after the break proved costly. Bruton erased almost seven minutes off the clock on a 15-play drive that featured Jones’ 15-yard run out of punt formation for a first down to keep the drive alive. Quarterback Zach Uvodich’s sneak for the final yard narrowed the gap to 21-20 with 9:44 left in the game.

But a bad snap and fumble on the ensuing conversion try foiled the Panthers’ bid to overtake the Trojans. Uvodich, the holder on the placement attempt, scrambled to recover, but defender Austin Heath brought down the Panther player as teammate R.J. Morris pounced on the loose ball.

Orie’s 13-yard TD run behind the left side of his line with 6:04 to go handed New Kent a 28-20 advantage and a measure of insurance. Bruton, however, overcame a pair of procedure calls and an illegal block penalty on its final TD drive. Two New Kent facemask penalties helped en route. Jones weaved his way through would-be tacklers on an 11-yard run, setting the stage for the two-point conversion try necessitated by the botched placement.

Despite having times out to burn, the Panthers quickly lined up in the wildcat formation. Jones took the direct snap and headed left, similar to the touchdown run that pulled the visitors within two. But this time, Heath and teammate James Weaver led a defensive charge that dropped Jones at the seven-yard line.

“I kind of figured, they’d give it to 10 [Jones] again,” said Rounds. “But we had the play strung out and made the tackle.”

The defensive stand not only averted overtime, but handed New Kent its second win. The Trojans are 2-7 heading into next Friday’s regular season finale at home with Warhill. The Trojans are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, but as Rounds said, “We’ll need help.”

The coach, however, said his team’s effort is on the upswing following inspired showings the two previous weeks against Poquoson and Lafayette.

“We started out of the gate a little better and executed better in tonight’s game,” he said. “Our confidence is up. The kids had a realization this week that we could play and we played them tough.”

New Kent running back John Elswick plows through tackling attempts by Bruton’s DeAndre Kissoon (20) and D’Aundre Laffoon.