Wolves Season Ends with Heartbreaker Against Rangers

WESSON – The Co-Lin Football team hosted the MACCC Semifinals with a Top-5 matchup against Northwest on Saturday, November 8. The No. 4 Rangers outlasted the No. 5 Wolves, 28-27.

The Rangers got on the board first as they took the opening possession of the game and marched the ball 80 yards on 15 plays completed by a 14-yard touchdown pass. A successful PAT gave the Rangers a 7-0 lead with 6:49 left in the first quarter. The Wolves looked for a response in their opening possession but had the drive stall out resulting in a punt to the Rangers.

After the Wolves defense forced a punt on the ensuing drive by the Rangers, the Wolves scored their first touchdown of the game on the next drive. Eli Viniard (Bassfield) scampered in from ten yards out to cap off a nine play, 82-yard drive while a successful PAT by Ty Jones (Summit) tied the game at 7-7 with 12:03 left to play in the second quarter.

The Rangers looked to take the lead on their next possession as they completed a 21-yard pass that was leading to a touchdown; however, Josiah Vaughn (Gulfport) punched the ball loose on the one-yard line and the fumble went out of the back of the endzone resulting in a touchback for the Wolves. After the Wolves offense could not capitalize on the fumble, the Rangers took the lead with a trick play that led to an 84-yard touchdown pass. The successful PAT gave the Rangers a 14-7 lead with 4:25 left in the first half.

However, the Wolves offense found a response as Martavious Boswell (Fort Worth, Texas) powered the ball in from three yards out to end a six play, 67-yard drive. The successful PAT tied the game at 14-14 with 1:15 left in the half. The Wolves defense then stalled out the next drive by the Rangers while the Wolves allowed time to expire in the half to keep the game tied as the teams entered the locker rooms for halftime.

In the second half, the Wolves took the opening possession and took the lead as Jaylen Pettway (Jacksonville, Florida) connected with Jermarj Bell (Mound Bayou) on a two-yard touchdown pass to end an eight play, 67-yard drive. Another successful PAT gave the Wolves a 21-14 lead with 10:45 left in the third quarter. However, the Rangers responded with a touchdown drive capped off by a 35-yard pass and a successful PAT tied the game at 21-21 with 6:11 left to play.

The Pettway to Bell connection struck again, this time from 35 yards out, to end a two play scoring drive for the Wolves; however, the PAT was missed making the lead, 27-21, with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter. That lead held until the Rangers scored on a ten-yard touchdown pass and took a 28-27 lead after a successful PAT with 1:10 left to play in the fourth quarter.

The Wolves offense then got the ball all the way to the Rangers seven-yard line after a 40-yard pass from Pettway to Jordan Richardson (Gainesville, Florida) putting the team in scoring position with 15 seconds left. However, the Rangers then picked off a pass in the endzone with four seconds remaining to stop the drive and seal the 28-27 win.

Pettway went 16-for-28 through the air for 244 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while Eli Viniard went 2-for-2 for 13 yards. Martavious Boswell had 113 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown while Jordan Richardson led the receiving corps with four receptions for 78 yards. Jermarj Bell had five receptions for 71 yards with two touchdowns while Matt Mayfield (Sunset, LA), Jabraxton Boone (Forest) Ca'Ron Williams (Natchez), Kannon Cato (New Hebron) and Martavious Boswell had at least one catch each.

Sentario Willis (Hazlehurst) led the Wolves defense with 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss while Archie Chambers (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Daniel Watkins (Flowood) had seven tackles each.

Co-Lin ends the season 8-2 overall and as South Division Co-Champions.