Cougars survive Gardendale rally, win in overtime
CLAY — If you were in Clay, Alabama, on Friday night and did not pass through the gates at Cougar Stadium, you are kicking yourself.
Clay-Chalkville High School fended off a tough Gardendale team to win 50-44 in overtime in a Class 6A quarterfinal matchup. They’ll talk about this one forever around here, in the checkout lines at Piggly Wiggly and over the picnic tables at Cosby Lake.
Tied 44-44 at the end of regulation, Gardendale got the ball first in overtime. The Rockets (10-3) rushed for 2 yards, lost 5 yards and threw an incomplete pass before Colby Thomas missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. Cougars quarterback Khalib Johnson ended the drama on the first snap of Clay’s possession, bolting through a hole up the middle and scoring the game-winning 10-yard run.
“I really haven’t (been a part of a game like this),” Johnson said afterward. “That’s what makes it so special, man. Happiest man alive, man. I’m just ready to go to the fourth round.”
Clay-Chalkville head coach Drew Gilmer said this type of heart-stopping game was also a first for him.
“We haven’t been in a situation like this, and our guys continued to fight, continued to believe, and we get to live to see the next round,” Gilmer said. “Very proud of our guys.”
In fact, Clay-Chalkville (13-0) hasn’t played in a playoff overtime game since winning the 1999 state championship game 30-27 in overtime over Lee-Montgomery. The Cougars have played 52 playoff games since then.
Clay-Chalkville was down 21-16 midway through the second quarter Friday night, but reeled off 28 unanswered points to grab a 44-21 lead. Those scores came on an Edward Osley 4-yard run, a 45-yard pass from Johnson to Jaylen Mbakwe, and 16- and 21-yard strikes to Mario Craver.
Gardendale made it 44-28 when Tyler Nelson found LT Sanders for a 56-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Sanders then broke free for a 23-yard score early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 44-34. The Rockets got a 28-yard touchdown run from Kejuan Brown on their next possession to make it a 44-41 game with 5:41 to play.
Johnson was intercepted by Gardendale’s Nick Rigdon four plays later, setting the Rockets up at the Cougars’ 14-yard line. Thomas tied the game with a 29-yard field goal with 2:13 to play. Neither team managed much offense on the final two possessions before overtime.
Osley went down with an apparent leg injury late in the third quarter and did not return. He finished with 164 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
“He’s just such a tough, physical runner,” Gilmer said. “We had to go to our other guys, who did a good job, but it did hurt us losing that physical runner.”
The game started with a bang, as Sanders returned the opening kickoff 93 yards to give Gardendale an early 7-0 lead. Clay-Chalkville answered back when Johnson found Marquarius White for a 50-yard touchdown. Mbakwe ran in the two-point conversion. Sanders put the Rockets up 14-8 on a 13-yard score before Osley answered with a 3-yard score to push the Cougars ahead 16-14. Sanders went 59 yards less than a minute later to retake the lead 21-16.
“I just told my defense I got them,” Johnson said. “I told them throughout the whole game I got them. No matter how many points you give up, I told them I’ve got them.”
Sanders rushed 25 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns for Gardendale. He also caught a 56-yard touchdown pass and returned the opening kickoff 93 yards. Nelson was 4-of-8 for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson finished 18-of-33 for 280 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. White caught six passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, and Mbakwe grabbed two passes for 63 yards and a score, all in the first half. Craver was the main target after halftime, catching five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns.
“The confidence we’ve got, I just love these guys,” Johnson said. “I’m just ready to go to work next week. Just ready for Friday.”
Next week will present a tough task, as the Cougars will travel to Mountain Brook for the Class 6A semifinals. The Spartans shut out Pinson Valley 30-0 for their seventh shutout of the season. The Spartans beat the Cougars 21-10 in the Class 6A quarterfinals a season ago.
“We’ve got to execute,” Gilmer said. “We’ve got to go back to work, got to get better. Nothing is guaranteed this time.”