The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
In a thrilling showdown last Friday night in Cambridge, the West Central Heat staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Ridgewood Spartans 36-26, overcoming a 20-0 deficit.
The matchup pitted the Spartans’ high-powered offense against the Heat’s stingy defense, delivering an unforgettable game marked by momentum swings, defensive stands, and a dominant second-half performance by West Central.
The game began with West Central taking the opening kickoff at their own 35-yard line.
Graham Kelly powered through for a first down with runs of 8 and 5 yards, and Aiden Gardner broke free for a 20-yard gain on third-and-10, moving the Heat inside the Spartans’ 35.
However, a fourth-and-8 run at the Spartan 30 was stopped short, and Ridgewood took over at their own 26.
After a 13-yard run by the Spartans, lightning forced a suspension of play for over an hour.
When play resumed, the first quarter remained scoreless despite both teams trading possessions. The Heat’s defense, led by an active Jordan Kane, held firm, limiting the Spartans’ big-play potential.
However, miscues plagued West Central’s offense, including a botched pitch from quarterback Colton Spence to Gardner, which handed Ridgewood prime field position inside the Heat’s 40 late in the opening quarter.
The Spartans capitalized early in the second quarter. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Heat’s 6-yard line, Ridgewood fooled the Heat defense with a play-action pass.
Carson Hancock connected with Wes Sandberg for a 6-yard touchdown. The two-point try failed, leaving the score at 0-6 with 8:37 left in the half.
West Central’s woes continued as another botched pitch from Spence to Gardner gave the Spartans the ball at the Heat’s 36.
Despite a strong defensive stand, including an interception by Spence to halt a Spartan drive, a third fumbled pitch resulted in a Ridgewood recovery in the end zone for a touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion as Hancock connected with Sandberg, making it 0-14 with under five minutes left in the half.
The Spartans extended their lead to 20-0 with 2:49 remaining in the half when Hancock found Byron Catour on another play-action pass for a touchdown. The two-point try was unsuccessful.
Facing a daunting deficit, the Heat responded with a confidence-building drive starting at their own 38.
After a 5-yard loss on his first down rush, Gardner broke off a 36-yard run to the Spartans’ 30, followed by a 14-yard rush to the 16.
Spence added a 7-yard option keeper, and Gardner capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. The two-point try failed, and West Central headed into halftime trailing 6-20, but with momentum beginning to shift.
The Heat carried their newfound energy into the third quarter. Strong kickoff coverage pinned Ridgewood at their own 14.
Despite a 20-yard run by Gavin Franks, the Heat’s defense, powered by Cody Wade and Kane, forced a punt attempt that went awry when the Spartans bobbled the snap. Wade tackled the punter, giving West Central possession at the Spartans’ 19.
Seizing the moment, Kelly rumbled in for a 5-yard touchdown, the two-point try was stopped short, making it 12-20.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Ridgewood during the two-point attempt pushed the kickoff to the Spartans’ 45, setting up a perfectly executed onside kick by Cooper Gibb recovered by Wade at the Spartan 34.
Kelly converted a crucial fourth-and-1 at the Spartan 12. The Heat kept their foot on the gas as Spence faked a handoff to Kelly and scampered 9 yards for a touchdown, followed by a successful two-point pitch to Cameron Robinson, tying the game at 20 with 3:49 left in the third.
The Heat’s defense continued to shine, as linebacker Davion Price forced a fumble by Franks, recovered by Gibb at the Spartan 38.
The Heat drove down to the Spartans’ 24 but a slip by Spence on fourth-and-2 turned the ball over on downs to start the fourth quarter.
The Heat’s defense held firm however as West Central regained possession at their own 42 with 9:42 remaining after another Franks fumble, again recovered by Gibb.
Robinson sparked the drive with a 27-yard run to the Spartan 31, and a facemask penalty on Ridgewood set up first-and-10 at the 15. Kelly powered ahead for runs of 6, 3, 2, and finally a 4-yard touchdown.
Kelly also powered in the two-point conversion to give the Heat their first lead, 28-20, with 7:05 left.
West Central’s defense stood tall again, with Kelly and Kane teaming up for a tackle for loss and Wade stopping Franks to force a fourth-and-7.
Kelly batted down a pass attempt, and the Heat took over at their own 37 with 4:40 remaining.
Robinson broke free for a 31-yard gain to the Spartan 10, and after two 3-yard carries by Kelly, Robinson scored on a 4-yard counter.
The Heat added two-points on a pitch to Robinson extending the lead to 36-20 with 3:27 left, capping a stunning 36 unanswered points.
Ridgewood mounted a late rally, with Hancock finding Hayden McCleary-Larson for a 24-yard touchdown with 1:26 remaining, but Wade’s tackle on Franks stopped the two-point try, keeping it a two-possession game at 36-26. Robinson secured the following onside kick, allowing the Heat to go into victory formation and seal the comeback win.
Kelly led the Heat with 89 rushing yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to power through defenders.
Gardner, despite being sidelined in the second half with knee and rib injuries, contributed 78 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Robinson added 77 yards on eight carries and a touchdown, while Spence chipped in 24 yards and a score on 10 carries.
Head Coach Kirby praised the team’s resilience, particularly highlighting Robinson’s second-half impact and Kelly’s ability to handle unblocked defenders.
“The last three minutes of the first half, our kids felt like, and so did our coaches, that we felt we were more physical than them at that point,” Kirby said.
“We told the kids we’re going to run three plays in the second half. We’re not running anything else. And we felt that we could be physical on those three plays and take advantage of what they were doing defensively. And our kids just lit a fire, just played so well.”
With the victory, West Central improves to 3-1 and looks to carry their momentum into their homecoming matchup against West Prairie on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Biggsville.
The Heat’s relentless defense and newfound offensive rhythm makes them a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses.