Searching for more of the fourth quarter, fourth down magic that served them so well one week earlier against Maysville, Gallatin’s Bulldogs came up short Friday night as Princeton stormed back from an 18-point deficit to claim second place in the Grand River Conference.
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Tiger linebacker Wes Reger intercepted a desperation pass on fourth and goal with 31 seconds left to preserve a 27-24 Princeton victory that snapped a 3-game Bulldog win streak. Early in the second half it seemed that the Tigers were fading in Gallatin’s rear view mirror. The Bulldogs took a 24-6 lead when Nic Burrell faked the option handoff and ran 63 yards for a quick score. Twenty minutes later, it was the Bulldogs who were scrambling to play catch-up football.
Gallatin outgained Princeton on the ground, 203 to 159, but it was a barrage of sweeps and counter plays that fueled the Tiger comeback from the biggest deficit a Princeton team had seen since last seasons’ Class 1 state championship game. The Bulldogs helped the Tigers get back into the contest with shoddy kickoff coverage that led to two scores.
Gallatin broke on top with a 6-0 lead when Justin Duffy ran a counter 17 yards in the first quarter. Princeton answered seconds later. Tyler Roberts muffed the kickoff and had to retreat five yards to pick up the ball. Bulldog coverage overran the play and Roberts found an open lane up the middle of the field and scampered 69 yards to Gallatin’s 11-yard line. Nate Moore waltzed in on the next play to tie the game.
Gallatin scored again on its next series after a drive appeared headed for failure. Facing fourth and five on the Tiger 38, Duffy dropped back to punt. The snap sailed high over his head and 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage, but the sophomore used his runningback skills to elude defenders for a first down. Nine plays later, quarterback Nic Burrell tucked up behind center Sean Wood on a one-yard scoring plunge. A conversion pass failed but the Dogs nursed a 12-6 lead.
A Kyle Hefley interception and 24-yard return help set up another GHS score before intermission. Jason McGee packed the ball five times for 27 yards from the Tiger 28. Burrell capped the series with his second TD run of the game. A conversion run by Duffy was stuffed short.
Following an exchange of possessions, the Bulldogs got the ball back on a Kevin Black recovery of another muffed punt. The drive stalled and Duffy had to deal with another high punt snap. This time he was able to get back to just beyond the line of scrimmage, but Princeton was left knocking on the door at Gallatin’s 42 with 38 seconds remaining in the first half.
Lutzen threw three incomplete passes, but on the third attempt the Dogs were whistled for roughing the passer. Lutzen spiked the ball to stop the clock on first and goal from the nine-yard line. With 12 seconds left, the Tigers came to the line in a double-wide receiver set. Lutzen threw to Roberts on a slant but the senior wideout dropped the ball on what would have been a touchdown grab. Drops continued for the Tigers when Zane Myers couldn’t hold on to what would again have been a touchdown reception. The Bulldogs held Roberts stumbled coming off the line and couldn’t recover in time to nab another Tiger pass.
Burrell’s long touchdown run at the beginning of the third quarter came after a fake that caught nearly the entire Tiger defense off guard. However, Princeton took the air out of Gallatin’s celebration on the next play when Myers ran the kickoff back 79 yards. Lutzen hit Roberts for the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 24-14.
The two teams slugged it out for the rest of the third quarter with no clear winner. With 7:42 showing on the fourth-quarter clock, Lutzen capped a 7-minute, 85-yard drive with a six-yard run on fourth down. The PAT failed but the Tigers had made it a one-possession game, 24-20.
After Roberts intercepted a Bulldog pass near midfield, Gallatin got the ball back when Black forced Lutzen to pitch wildly and Andrew Adkison recovered on the Tiger 49. Gallatin faced fourth down a short two yards to go with 3:39 left in the game. Tiger luck would hold. Drayson Leeper’s short carry brought on a measurement. When the referees stretched the chain, the nose of the ball was three inches short of the first down. A first down would have prolonged the drive, protected the Bulldog lead and forced Princeton to burn valuable timeouts in order to stop the clock.
Four plays later, Lutzen threw into double coverage to Myers, who made the grab on the sideline and found the end zone from 39 yards out. Roberts kicked the extra point and Princeton led for the first time, 27-24.
Gallatin’s last shot at the end zone started well. Hefley caught back-to-back passes for first down yardage, and moved the chains again for a five-yard gain on second down. On third and five, McGee took a pitch from Burrell, pulled up and threw to a wide open Hefley, who came back for the ball and made a tremendous fingertip catch at the Tiger 22. A Burrell to Adkison connection picked up 13 yards to the nine-yard line. Leeper picked up four more yards, McGee was stopped in the backfield and a third down pass fell incomplete.
Facing fourth and goal with 37 seconds remaining, Burrell dropped back to pass, looking for one of three receivers in the end zone. The sophomore quarterback checked down to Adkison just over the goal line, but Reger stepped in front to make the pick that sealed the Tiger win.