Wabasso 07-07-07-00 = 21
RRC 00-00-06-20 = 26
With its unbeaten season on the line, the Red Rock Central football team saved its best for last Friday night, scoring on its final four possessions and holding Wabasso’s offense in check late.
That allowed the Falcons to rally for a 26-21 victory in the Section 2 Nine-Player championship game, played in Cottonwood.
The first half proved to be disastrous for the Falcons. A bad snap on the first play of the game allowed Wabasso to take over at the RRC 13-yard line. Three plays later, Drew Kemp scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, giving the Rabbits a 7-0 lead.
The Falcon offense controlled much of the rest of the first half, with three lengthy drives into Rabbit territory. The first two ended with turnovers on downs at around the Wabasso 30. The third saw the Falcons drive all the way down to the Rabbit 1-yard line before being stopped on fourth-and-goal.
After a Wabasso punt late in the first half, an attempted screen pass by the Falcons was sniffed out by Rohlik, who intercepted the pass and returned it 50 yards for a Rabbit touchdown, giving Wabasso a 14-0 halftime lead.
The Falcons caught their first big break of the game halfway through the third quarter, when Carter Therkilsen burst through a crack in the defense and raced 67 yards for the first Falcon touchdown of the game, cutting the deficit to 14-6.
But Wabasso answered, following a good kickoff return into Falcon territory. Kemp’s 3-yard sneak gave the Rabbits a 21-6 lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter.
That’s when the Falcon comeback began in earnest. RRC marched 56 yards in 11 plays, capped with a 1-yard Therkilsen touchdown run with 10:16 left in the game. The two-point conversion try failed, leaving Wabasso with a 21-12 lead.
The Falcon defense forced a quick three-and-out, getting the ball back and scoring on a 17-yard Therkilsen run. Again, the two-point conversion failed, leaving Wabasso with a 21-18 lead.
Wabasso tried to milk the clock on its next drive, but a false start penalty and an incomplete pass forced a Rabbit punt, giving the Falcons the ball at their own 14-yard line with 2:47 left on the clock.
The Falcons then set out on a 14-play, 86-yard drive. A 16-yard completion from Abe Stavnes to Jordan Therkilsen on fourth-and-6 from the Falcon 18, along with a facemask penalty, gave RRC a first down near midfield.
From there, runs on 13, 11 and 14 yards from Carter Therkilsen brought the Falcons down to the Wabasso 10. With 13 seconds left in regulation, Therkilsen bounced a rush to the outside, shed a tackler and scored on a 10-yard run. Therkilsen added the two-point conversion, giving the Falcons a 26-21 lead.
Wabasso’s final chance to move upfield for a touchdown was turned aside when Carter Therkilsen intercepted a pass, allowing the Falcons to take a knee to end the game.
Therkilsen finished the game with 46 carries for 332 yards and four touchdowns. Stavnes added 18 carries for 48 yards.
Stavnes completed 8-of-15 yards for 89 yards. Jordan Therkilsen had five catches for 62 yards.
Next games: Check for updates after each game.
RRC: vs. HBC (at SMSU, Marshall), Nov. 6
