09/09/18 — PREP FOOTBALL: Warriors' Dove nails another game-winning FG

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PREP FOOTBALL: Warriors' Dove nails another game-winning FG

By Aviel Smolka
Published in Sports on September 9, 2018 3:05 AM

By AVIEL SMOLKA

asmolka@newsargus.com

As the great Yogi Berra once to said "it ain't over till it's over."

Down 26-13 at halftime, Eastern Wayne staged a miraculous comeback to beat Greene Central 35-32 on a last-second field goal at New Hope on Friday evening.

Junior Angus Dove booted the game-deciding kick, a 37-yarder, with one second left on the clock. It was his second game-winning boot in the past three weeks.

"If I had to put the team on the line it's going to be through my kicker," Eastern Wayne head coach Leander Oates said. "He's cold blooded. He'll give you a look and you know he's got it.

"As a team we had to dig deep and show why it's special to have six home games. It's rare to have that many homes and we wanted to make our fans proud."

In first half, it looked the Warriors -- who are celebrating their 50th season of football -- were on their way to a second straight double-digit loss.

The Rams, led by running A.J. Dupree, took an 8-0 lead on Dupree's 1-yard rushing touchdown and two-point conversion.

Facing a third-and-12 to start the second quarter, GC quarterback B.J. Corbitt threw a 51-yard touchdown pass Jabari Barnes. The Rams led 14-0 after the two-point conversion failed.

Eastern Wayne got on the board towards the end of the second quarter.

Dupree fumbled and gave the Warriors great starting field position. Quarterback Desmond Vaughn called his own number and scored on a 6-yard run.

However, Greene Central answered on the ensuing drive with Corbett's 53-yard run that set up Dupree's 3-yard run.

The Warriors kept fighting and made it a one-score game again.

Vaughn connected with Brandon Joyner for a 43-yard pass. On the next play, Junious Tyson scored from 1 yard out.

With 54 seconds left until halftime, Dupree scored his third touchdown to put GC up 26-13.

In the second half, the Warriors flipped the script and dominated the Rams.

"We changed our game plan the second half," Oates said. "With their speed and coverage on our guys, we just wanted to make sure we kept it on the ground.

"From start of the season I expected big things from my line. They showed how good they were tonight."

Starting at their own 27-yard line, the Warriors went on a 14-play, six-minute drive that was capped by Tyson's 4-yard run.

Dupree fumbled on the Rams' next possession and EW quickly tied the game at 26-26.

to make the score 26-20.

Greene Central regained the lead when Vaughn threw an interception to Jaden Johnson who returned it 40 yards to the house.

"You definitely never want that to happen," Oates said. "However, my quarterback is growing. If I can keep developing him, he's going to be a very special player."

Eastern Wayne tied the game 32-32 early in the fourth quarter on Tyson's third TD.

Dupree left the game with an injury and Greene Central looked out of sorts without him.

"Losing AJ actually hurt us a lot more on defense than on offense," Greene Central head coach Allen Wooten said. "We have some good running backs, but defensively he's our most physical safety.

"We just have to man up right now. We've got a team of 25 kids that really care and 10 kids that either need to put up or shut up."

With two minutes left in the game, after Greene Central failed to convert on fourth down, Eastern Wayne started its game-winning drive near midfield.

On a second-and-15 Vaughn completed a 24-yard pass to Brandon Joyner. Vaughn then threw two straight incompletions and Oates brought out Dove to attempt a 47-yard field goal.

Greene Central committed two offsides penalties before Dove easily converted the field goal.

"I guess our guys like the dramatics," Oates said. "It makes me lose my voice, but I'm okay losing my voice on a much-needed win. I'm glad we finally found that fire."