The Shadow
AMHERST – Another double-digit fourth quarter lead evaporated on the Alleghany Mountaineers here Friday night.
This time it ended their season.
Brookville scored 13 points in the game’s final 3:54 to knock off the Mountaineers 19-16 in a Region III, Division 3 first-round game at Amherst County High School.
Deshon Foxx’s 2-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-goal with just 35 seconds left was the game-winner for the Bees.
Poised to win their first playoff game in 23 years, Alleghany led 16-6 when Cassidy Burns booted a 27-yard field goal with 9:40 to play.
But the final minutes were all Bees.
A Kendall Becraft to Alec Thompson 27-yard TD pass on 3rd-and-17 capped a quick 7-play, 80-yard drive to cut the AHS lead to 16-12 with 3:54 left.
But the ensuing onside kick attempt was covered by Alleghany’s Taylor Carter after bouncing off hands from both teams.
With the football at their own 37, the Mountaineers went three-and-out with three straight incompletions.
“I knew we had to run clock, but we just couldn’t run the football,” said Alleghany coach Jack Baker, whose team could muster just 67 yards on the ground for the night. “I thought we had to take a shot.”
Mountaineer Alex Gibson was stopped after picking up just one yard on fourth down running from punt formation, and the Bees took over at the 38 with 3:21 left and all three timeouts.
A screen pass from Becraft to Foxx moved the football to the 7-yard line on first down.
Foxx, who rushed for 96 yards on the night, carried the football on the next three plays, getting to the AHS 2.
On 4th-and-goal, Foxx took a pitch from Becraft and found the right corner of the end zone.
Ben Simmons sealed the victory for Brookville (9-2), intercepting Seth Bradley two plays later.
The Mountaineers dominated play in the first half, but had only a 6-all tie at intermission to show for it.
Alleghany got inside the Brookville 25-yard line four times in the opening two quarters, but could come away with just six points.
A fumble and a pair of missed field goals ended the drives.
“We left too many points out there in the first half,” Baker added. “We played hard and we played competitive, we just didn’t get points to show for it.”
The Mounties drove to the Brookville 17 on their second drive of the game, but Zack Burns recovered a fumble to snuff out the drive.
The teams exchanged quick scores in a pair of drives that bridged the first and second quarters.
Foxx sprinted 30 yards to paydirt to give the Bees a 6-0 lead, but Alleghany countered with a methodical 13-play, 65-yard scoring drive.
A Bradley run, a Bradley-to-Ashby Taylor throw and a Casey Walker plunge converted consecutive third downs in the march and Bradley took it himself from 11 yards out for the score and a 6-6 tie.
The Mountaineers couldn’t capitalized on a turnover late in the half.
Tyler Crosier recovered a fumble at the Bees 38 with four minutes left.
Bradley followed by connecting with Burns for 26 yards to the Brookville 9.
Bradley’s run moved the ball to the 5 on first down, but another run by the quarterback and an incompletion forced Burns into a 22-yard field goal attempt.
The boot caromed wide off the right upright.
Alleghany got one more chance after a 3-and-out and a Brookville punt.
But Burns’ 43-yard field goal attempt missed left.
The Mountaineers took a 13-6 lead with just over five minutes left in the third.
Burns picked off a Becraft throw and two plays later, Bradley found Lucas Kirby in front of the Brookville sideline.
Kirby scampered 37 yards to the end zone and Burns’ conversion gave Alleghany their first lead.
After forcing a punt, the Mounties extended their margin with a 92-yard drive that took over five minutes off the clock.
Three Brookville penalties helped extend the drive and Gibson had a 16-yard run from punt formation.
Burns split the uprights from 27 yards out for the 16-6 lead.
Daniel Shifflett led a strong defensive effort by the Mountaineers with three sacks and double digit tackles, while Burns added a pair of interceptions.
Bradley completed 11 of 27 throws for 174 yards.
The loss was the second tough one in a row for the Mountaineers, who ended their season at 6-5.
William Byrd scored two late touchdowns last Friday to overcame a 21-7 deficit in the regular season finale.
Brookville, the defending Division 3 state runners-up, travels to Northside next week for a regional semifinal game.
