By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
ODENVILLE — In a 5A, Region 6 showdown that lived up to the hype, Leeds saw victory slip away in double overtime as St. Clair converted a two-point try to win 50-49 Friday night.
The Green Wave (5-2, 2-2 in region) led most of the night behind a monster performance from senior running back Gavin Howard, who scored five touchdowns, but the Saints (5-1, 2-1) rallied late and stole momentum when it mattered most.
Leeds struck first when quarterback Sam Lollar threw a screen pass to Jordan Lockhart, who raced 18 yards for a touchdown with 7:16 left in the first quarter. St. Clair answered with a 79-yard run, tying it at 7-7 less than a minute later.
Howard scored from four yards out to make it 14-7, then added another short scoring run with 3:50 left in the first to give Leeds a 21-7 lead.
But St. Clair refused to go away. The Saints scored twice in just over two minutes before halftime, cutting the Green Wave’s lead to 21-20.
Lollar hit Howard with a ten-yard pass for a score with 8:27 left in the third quarter, extending Leeds’ lead to 28-20. The Saints answered immediately, finding the end zone and adding a two-point conversion to tie the game at 28-28.
Howard’s fourth touchdown of the night came with 9:32 to play, capping a Leeds drive to push the Greenies back on top, 35-28. Once again, St. Clair responded, tying the game 35-35 with just over six minutes to play.
Leeds had a chance to win in regulation, but a 38-yard field goal attempt with one second left sailed just wide.
In overtime, St. Clair scored on the first play to take its first lead of the game, 42-35. Leeds answered when Tylin Moultrie rambled in to even the score.
The second extra period saw Howard score his fifth touchdown of the night with a run that gave Leeds a 49-42 lead. St. Clair, though, scored and went for the win. Their gamble paid off when the Saints converted the two-point try to seal the 50-49 victory.
“Coach Robinson has done a great job with his program,” said Leeds head coach Jerry Hood. “Hats off to them for a big region win.”
“Proud of the fight that our guys put up, giving themselves a chance to win.”
The Greenies dominated statistically, running 85 plays for 451 total yards, 222 passing and 229 rushing, compared to 291 on 48 plays for the Saints. Sam Lollar had 17 completions on 24 attempts for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Gavin Howard carried the ball 21 times for 90 yards and four touchdowns. Jordan Lockhart added 71 rushing yards and caught six passes for 75 yards and a score. Jacauri Swain added a 63-yard reception, the longest play of the night. Tyler Vandiver was 7 of 7 on PATs.
Leeds hosts Moody in the Battle of the Bridge next Friday night.
