In a hard fought game, the Colts – including No. 66, aka The Boy – fell short of their goal of playing in Monday night’s Championship game.
The lights of Blackwell Field at Chastain Park shown brightly Tuesday night upon two NYO Bigs teams who battled through a triple-overtime thriller for the chance to play in next week’s championship game.
On one side were the vaunted Dolphins, undefeated until the final game of the season when they fell to the team they were about to face; the resurgent Colts, winners of seven straight.
With a few timely turnovers the Colts charged out to a 14-0 half time lead. The Colts may have been riding a little too high in the saddle coming back on the field as the Dolphins scored twice and their defense shut down what had been an effective Colts attack.
As the fourth quarter drew to a close the score stood at 14-14.
Overtime is played by each team lining up 15 yards out with four tries to score or earn another set of downs. Advantage: Dolphins. They have a kicker, something you don’t see too often in 11 and 12-year-old football.
On first pass both teams scored but failed to convert the extra point. 20-20. In the second overtime, both defenses stepped up shutting the other out of the end zone.
It all came down to the third try.
The Dolphins juggernaut for a tail back, Alvin James II, rumbled through for a touchdown and the extra point was true. The Colts Gabriel Wright returned the favor, running through a hole you could have driven a dump truck through into the end zone bringing the Colts within one. On the next play – an extra point attempt from five yards out – the Dolphins broke through the O-line with an all out blitz and caught Wright in the back field.
27-26. Ball game.
The ecstatic Dolphins celebrated; the Colts walked off the field heads hung low. The spectators were a mix of every NYO family out that night, whether they had a kid in the game or not. It was an incredible atmosphere.
Credit goes to Dolphins Coach Hadley Engelhard, his staff and his boys and to Colts Coach Paul Cargal and his crew. It was a season – and a game – many won’t soon forget.
The Dolphins play the undefeated Patriots Monday at 7:15 p.m. for the NYO Bigs Championship. Get your tickets now. If this game is any indication, it is sure to be a good one.
ATKII 